President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday admitted that he gave his blessing to Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to represent former presidential aide Christopher “Bong” Go in campaign sorties despite prohibiting Cabinet members from rallying support for administration bets in the May elections.
Even though the law says Cabinet officials are allowed to speak out about candidates in the 2019 midterm polls, the President revealed he still ordered them not to campaign for or against the candidacy of others, as he wanted to remove the issue of high government officials using administration resources for the elections.
“The will be campaigning if they want to and they will be using government cars (and) government fuel, and I wanted to remove that kind of issue just to be fair,” Duterte told reporters in an ambush interview.
Andanar, according to the President, “was an exception.”
“He was an exception… I did not allow the other members… He’s an ideologue. His guidance is very important to all of the PDP-Laban members,” the President said.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections said on Friday that there is no prohibition for Cabinet officials, including Andanar, if they want to campaign for the Senate bets of the administration.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez issued the statement after Andanar represented former Special Assistant to the and Senate bet Christopher “Bong” Go in a PDP-Laban campaign rally in San Juan City.
“Meron kasing ruling ‘yung CSC [in a joint circular with Comelec] na political officials, including Cabinet members, are given a lot of leeway in participating in partisan political activities,” Jimenez said.
“So, pasok diyan si Secretary Andanar,” Jimenez added.
According to Jimenez, the Joint Circular of Comelec and Civil Service Commission issued in March 2016 states that the following persons are excluded from the coverage of the prohibition against engaging in any electioneering or partisan political activities, for as long as they do not solicit contributions from their subordinates or subject them to any of the acts prohibited in the Omnibus Election Code: President, Vice President, members of the Cabinet, other elective public officials except barangay officials and personal and confidential staff of the abovementioned officials.
Andanar spoke for over a minute in campaigning for Go, saying that if Go is elected as senator, he would establish Malasakit centers which would serve as a one stop shop for citizens seeking Government assistance for social services.
Andanar also lauded Go’s caring nature which he said was crucial in making President Rodrigo Duterte sign landmark bills into laws like the expanded 105-day paid maternity leave and universal health care measures which were signed into law this week.
“I represented him as a friend,” Andanar said as why he represented Go in the said campaign rally.
The same Joint Circular issued by the Comelec and the Civil Service Commission defines partisan political activities as: forming organizations, associations, clubs, committees, or other groups of persons for the purpose of soliciting vote and/or undertaking any campaign for or against a candidate/party; making speeches, announcements, commentaries, holding interviews for or against the election of any candidate or party for public office; publishing, displaying or distributing campaign literature or materials designed to support or oppose the election of any candidate or party; anddirectly or indirectly soliciting votes, pledges, support for or against any candidate or party.
Meanwhile, the Comelec said it would tear down giant product advertisements with photos of senatorial bets since these are considered illegal campaign materials.
In a joint press conference with representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways, Metro Manila Development Authority and the National Capital Region Police Office, Jimenez said a team of government will start removing illegal campaign posters starting this week.
He said product advertisements are considered illegal campaign materials if these are oversized or placed outside of common poster areas.
The Comelec said advertising materials featuring candidates are considered election campaign materials, saying is not allowed under the Comelec election rule.
While the Comelec admitted to be helpless against candidates who continue to violate campaign rules, the poll body instead called on the voters not to elect these candidates.
Under Comelec Resolution 10488 which serves as implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act for the May 2019 polls, parties and candidates may post their campaign materials in: authorized common poster areas in public places as plazas, markets, barangay centers and the like where posters may be readily seen or read, and with the heaviest pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic in the city or municipality; and private property, provided that the posting has the consent of the owner thereof.
Posters and tarpaulins of political parties and party-list groups should only measure 12 feet by 16 feet or its equivalent but not exceeding a total area of 192 square feet, while posters of independent candidates should be within four feet by six feet or its equivalent but not exceeding a total area of 24 square feet.
For individual posters allowed in common poster areas, their sizes should not exceed two feet by three feet.
Jimenez said a notice will be sent to concerned candidate to determine his or her liability over the illegal campaign materials.
Those who will be found liable will be facing an election offense charge which is punishable by six years imprisonment and disqualification from running for public office.
In a related development, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) supports efforts to punish politicians and candidates found giving aid to communist terrorist groups who extort money and demand permit-to-campaign from them, an official said Friday.
“The AFP will always support the efforts of the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) in sanctioning the erring candidates and politicians who violate these specific instructions and the laws pertaining to giving aid and comfort to the enemy of the state,” AFP Public Affairs Office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato said Friday.
“We will monitor and gather information and report same to the DILG. Our field units are given specific tasks to carry this out while performing security and combat operations against the armed group of the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front),” he added.
The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States government and European Union.
Last Thursday, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año revealed that 349 local and national government officials are supporting the communist rebels by giving in to the extortion demands and permit-to-campaign rackets of the NPA.
“We now have a watchlist, we know you. So if you are supporting communist rebels, in any way, you ascertain yourself as a supporter of terrorism and an enemy of the state, you establish yourself as an accomplice to their cause,” he said. With PNA