Comelec threat to ban: Oprah, Ellen did it

By Bayani San Diego Jr., Marinel Cruz, Philip Tubeza, Michael Lim Ubac (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100212-252706/Comelec-threat-to-ban-Oprah-Ellen-did-it

THE TOP TWO PRESIDENTIAL rivals for the May 10 poll agree on one thing.

One presidential candidate vowed to challenge it before the Supreme Court. Another slammed it as a violation of the freedom of expression. One celebrity said he was saddened by it, while others cried it was unfair.

This was the storm stirred up Thursday by a Commission on Elections (Comelec) threat to throw the book at celebrities and mass media personalities who would endorse any candidate during the current election campaign, unless they resign or go on leave from their radio or television shows or media outfits.

“Did (American TV show hosts) Oprah (Winfrey) and Ellen DeGeneres lose their shows on account of their presidential candidates? This is a democratic country and celebrities have the right to choose their candidates,” Angeli Valenciano, wife of singer Gary Valenciano, said.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who is being backed by a star-studded team that includes some of the country’s biggest show biz personalities, said he had ordered his lawyers to question the Comelec ruling before the high court.

Aquino’s top rival for the presidency, Nacionalista Party Sen. Manuel Villar, said the celebrities affected by the Comelec ruling “are humans [and] voters, too” and asked: “Why should we suppress their right to choose their (candidates)?”

Popular singer-composer Ogie Alcasid, who penned Aquino’s campaign anthem “Hindi Ka Nag-iisa,” told the Inquirer the Comelec ruling was “sad.”

The Comelec ruling is supposed to take effect on the seventh day after its publication in two newspapers.

The Comelec law director, Ferdinand Rafanan, said this meant the ruling would be enforced starting tomorrow, Feb. 13.

Hurt most

The target of the protests is a provision in the Fair Election Act, or Republic Act No. 9006, which says:

“Any mass media columnist, commentator, announcer, reporter, on-air correspondent or personality who is a candidate for any elective public office or is a campaign volunteer for or employed or retained in any capacity by any candidate or political party shall be deemed resigned, if so required by their employer, or shall take a leave of absence from his/her work as such during the campaign period.”

Aquino and Villar stand to be hurt most by the law because some of their heavyweight endorsers are actors and actresses who have shows in the country’s two biggest television outfits—GMA Network and ABS-CBN.

The show biz stars identified with the Aquino campaign are, among others, his sister Kris Aquino, Vilma Santos, Sharon Cuneta, Ai-Ai delas Alas, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Anne Curtis, Erik Santos, Bea Alonzo, Gretchen Barretto, Mariel Rodriguez, Sitti, Pooh, Kim Chiu, Kris Bernal, Aljur Abrenica.

The celebrities identified with the Villar campaign include Dolphy, Sarah Geronimo, Michael V, Willie Revillame, Manny Pacquiao and Richard Gutierrez

Arroyo's advice

In a statement, GMA Network said it was advising its talents that “they have to take a leave of absence if they continue to campaign for or endorse candidates or political parties during the campaign period, even if the taping of their participation in the promotion or plug of the candidate was done before the campaign period.”

“GMA Network’s talents, who appeared in political ads or advocacy plugs before Feb. 9, are advised to notify the candidates concerned or those responsible for placing these political plugs not to air them during the campaign period.”

In an interview, Felipe L. Gozon, chair, CEO and president of GMA, suggested that the network’s artists ask their candidates “not to air their participation in the political ads during the campaign period.”

ABS-CBN stand

ABS-CBN Corporate Communications head Bong Osorio said: “The call for ABS-CBN talents who endorse candidates to go on leave during the campaign period is not required by the Fair Election Act or its implementing rules and regulations.”

Osorio cited a provision in Comelec Resolution No. 8758 which, he said, “merely requires that media practitioners such as talents ‘shall not use his/her time or space to favor any candidate.’ ”

“In this regard, it is ABS-CBN’s policy that its talents may not use any program to endorse or promote any candidate. This policy is strictly enforced by the network.”

Osorio also said the provision of law cited by the Comelec requiring media personalities to resign or go on leave “applies to employees only ... Talents are not employees of the network and, therefore, the said provision does not apply to them.”

Must be neutral
Gozon noted that although GMA 7 had allowed some of its stars to express their political choices publicly, the network had a strict policy for its news and public affairs personalities to remain neutral.

“We take this matter seriously. The issue is credibility. Our station should remain nonpartisan ... We cannot be perceived as biased for certain candidates,” Gozon asserted.

Regine Velasquez, an Aquino supporter, said a distinction should be made between “artists who are openly endorsing and campaigning for candidates and those artists who are just hired to perform and provide entertainment in political sorties.”

‘I wasn’t paid, too’

Velasquez, who also sang the Aquino jingle in a music video aired before the start of the campaign period, said: “We didn’t get paid [for Aquino’s campaign ad]. It was out of friendship. We know our friends well and we believe in our friends’ principles.”

In a phone interview, Dolphy said he didn’t get paid for doing his commercial for Villar.

He denied presidential aspirant Jamby Madrigal’s insinuation that he had been paid P30 million to campaign for Villar.

During the shoot of the commercial, Dolphy said he chose not to read the spiels off a teleprompter. “I used my own words. I spoke straight from my heart,” he said.

The comedian also said: “We never discussed money. I just joked that ... if Manny wins, maybe he could give me a house from Camella Homes!”

Vilma asks why

Batangas governor and actress Vilma Santos, who is running for reelection under Aquino’s Liberal Party, said in a text message she was taking a wait-and-see stance “on how the Comelec is going to implement this ruling.”

“Why did the ruling single out artists and celebrities? But what about those who didn’t appear in ads, but are openly campaigning for candidates in shows and rallies, are they also covered by the ruling?” Santos said.

Talent manager Valenciano said show biz celebrities “should not lose their jobs on account of their decision to support people they want to lead the country.” The Valencianos are supporters of evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Bangon Pilipinas Party standard-bearer.

Applied equally

Kris Aquino said she would first study the rule before commenting on it.

Kris said: “I’m not earning from this campaign, so that means I have to continue working. What will happen to my family if I stop working? If they will implement this provision, it should apply to everybody equally.”

“I am not appearing in any TVC (television commercial) for Noy in this campaign,” she said. “This is in deference to my network, so there would be no conflict of interest.”

Kris added: “According to the ABS-CBN committee ruling, I’m not even allowed to wear yellow on any of my shows, only except on my birthday.”

Yellow is the Aquino family’s political battle color.

Actor and former Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who is running for the Senate under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said the Comelec ruling was detrimental to Aquino while favoring his rivals Villar and Gilbert Teodoro of Lakas.

He said the law would also affect his campaign. He said both he and Aquino did not have deep war chests and were only banking on their relatives, who happened to be celebrities, to boost their campaign.

“Is it my fault that I have celebrity relatives? Is it Noynoy’s fault that he has a celebrity for a sister?” he said

Sotto wondered why the election provision would only be implemented now when the law had been in effect during previous elections.With a report from Leila B. Salaverria