By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=550341&publicationSubCategoryId=63
MANILA, Philippines - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Philippines yesterday said there’s nothing wrong with the political advertisement of presidential candidate Sen. Richard Gordon showing his achievements as chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
ICRC in the Philippines head Jean-Daniel Tauxe said it is normal for politicians to show their achievements during campaigns. He said many Red Cross officers are in politics.
“We have to make it clear that he is not a Red Cross candidate; that should be kept in mind,” Tauxe said in a media briefing at the Crowne Plaza Galleria in Ortigas.
He said Red Cross officials should always remember that the organization is an international one and they should be impartial.
“We had already discussed it with Sen. Gordon and he told us what it means,” Tauxe said.
Gordon’s 30-second advertisement, which started airing late last year, uses the Christmas song “Silent Night” and shows Gordon attending to evacuees from the rumbling Mayon Volcano, the victims of the Christmas Eve fire at the Pasay-Makati border, and victims of the sinking of the M/V Baleno off the coast of Mindoro Oriental on Dec. 26.
It also has the slogan “Hindi Natutulog si Dick Gordon (Dick Gordon does not sleep).”
Gordon is standard-bearer of the Bagumbayan Party with former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando as his running mate.
Gordon’s proposal
Gordon has proposed that the Ombudsman should also be elected.
He said the alleged inaction of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam and the scuttled $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal shows why the anti-graft chief should not be appointed.
“The Ombudsman should be elected not appointed. The Supreme Court should nominate two names. The people would choose from there. No campaigning. The nominees would only present their curriculum vitae, which would be the electorate’s basis in choosing the Ombudsman,” Gordon said in a statement issued yesterday.
He also said Gutierrez was the classmate of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, which explains why no one lands in jail.
“If I were President, I wouldn’t appoint my wife’s classmate,” he said.
Officials of the Office of the Ombudsman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, asked Gordon not to use the graft court to advance his candidacy.
The officials said, however, that the agency will follow Gordon’s proposal if it is legislated.
“As long as it will be approved by Congress through the enactment of a law,” an official said.
“But we think that the present setup is already effective. We do not want to debate with the good senator, we will follow whatever is the law,” the official added.
Another source claimed Gutierrez is not sitting on the fertilizer fund scam and the NBN deal.
“That is his (Gordon) perception, the case is still very much being acted upon... We wish that he will not project his presidential bid at the expense of the Ombudsman.” the source said.
Election fanfare
The camp of former President Joseph Estrada is disappointed that television giant ABS-CBN refused to air Estrada’s new political advertisement, which shows that his former administration had the largest budget for healthcare, social services and education.
Estrada’s spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo said the network turned down their “substantation” or data to prove their claims.
The data submitted to ABS-CBN were based on a figure prepared on July 21, 2007 by Estrada’s former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, a professor of economics at the University of the Philippines.
Sen. Jamby Madrigal, meanwhile, is appealing to ABS-CBN talent Judy Ann Santos for understanding when she announced that she would not hire celebrities to endorse her candidacy, but would welcome celebrities who would voluntarily endorse her.
She said her detractors fanned the issue to damage her relationship with the actress.
“My detractors turned the issue into a personal attack to make me look bad to Juday,” Madrigal said in Filipino.
Madrigal said she remains grateful to Santos for endorsing her in 2004.
But the senator said the campaign should be based on platform of governance and not onpopularity through the use of celebrities to cover weaknesses or lack of ability.
She again took potshots at Nacionalista Party standard- bearer Sen. Manny Villar who is endorsed by veteran comedian Dolphy and noontime show host Willie Revillame.
Madrigal was a guest at the Science Week of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), where she also had an informal meeting with the students, faculty and school officials. – With Michael Punongbayan, Jose Rodel Clapano, Pia Lee-Brago
MANILA, Philippines - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Philippines yesterday said there’s nothing wrong with the political advertisement of presidential candidate Sen. Richard Gordon showing his achievements as chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
ICRC in the Philippines head Jean-Daniel Tauxe said it is normal for politicians to show their achievements during campaigns. He said many Red Cross officers are in politics.
“We have to make it clear that he is not a Red Cross candidate; that should be kept in mind,” Tauxe said in a media briefing at the Crowne Plaza Galleria in Ortigas.
He said Red Cross officials should always remember that the organization is an international one and they should be impartial.
“We had already discussed it with Sen. Gordon and he told us what it means,” Tauxe said.
Gordon’s 30-second advertisement, which started airing late last year, uses the Christmas song “Silent Night” and shows Gordon attending to evacuees from the rumbling Mayon Volcano, the victims of the Christmas Eve fire at the Pasay-Makati border, and victims of the sinking of the M/V Baleno off the coast of Mindoro Oriental on Dec. 26.
It also has the slogan “Hindi Natutulog si Dick Gordon (Dick Gordon does not sleep).”
Gordon is standard-bearer of the Bagumbayan Party with former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando as his running mate.
Gordon’s proposal
Gordon has proposed that the Ombudsman should also be elected.
He said the alleged inaction of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam and the scuttled $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal shows why the anti-graft chief should not be appointed.
“The Ombudsman should be elected not appointed. The Supreme Court should nominate two names. The people would choose from there. No campaigning. The nominees would only present their curriculum vitae, which would be the electorate’s basis in choosing the Ombudsman,” Gordon said in a statement issued yesterday.
He also said Gutierrez was the classmate of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, which explains why no one lands in jail.
“If I were President, I wouldn’t appoint my wife’s classmate,” he said.
Officials of the Office of the Ombudsman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, asked Gordon not to use the graft court to advance his candidacy.
The officials said, however, that the agency will follow Gordon’s proposal if it is legislated.
“As long as it will be approved by Congress through the enactment of a law,” an official said.
“But we think that the present setup is already effective. We do not want to debate with the good senator, we will follow whatever is the law,” the official added.
Another source claimed Gutierrez is not sitting on the fertilizer fund scam and the NBN deal.
“That is his (Gordon) perception, the case is still very much being acted upon... We wish that he will not project his presidential bid at the expense of the Ombudsman.” the source said.
Election fanfare
The camp of former President Joseph Estrada is disappointed that television giant ABS-CBN refused to air Estrada’s new political advertisement, which shows that his former administration had the largest budget for healthcare, social services and education.
Estrada’s spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo said the network turned down their “substantation” or data to prove their claims.
The data submitted to ABS-CBN were based on a figure prepared on July 21, 2007 by Estrada’s former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, a professor of economics at the University of the Philippines.
Sen. Jamby Madrigal, meanwhile, is appealing to ABS-CBN talent Judy Ann Santos for understanding when she announced that she would not hire celebrities to endorse her candidacy, but would welcome celebrities who would voluntarily endorse her.
She said her detractors fanned the issue to damage her relationship with the actress.
“My detractors turned the issue into a personal attack to make me look bad to Juday,” Madrigal said in Filipino.
Madrigal said she remains grateful to Santos for endorsing her in 2004.
But the senator said the campaign should be based on platform of governance and not onpopularity through the use of celebrities to cover weaknesses or lack of ability.
She again took potshots at Nacionalista Party standard- bearer Sen. Manny Villar who is endorsed by veteran comedian Dolphy and noontime show host Willie Revillame.
Madrigal was a guest at the Science Week of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), where she also had an informal meeting with the students, faculty and school officials. – With Michael Punongbayan, Jose Rodel Clapano, Pia Lee-Brago
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