Comelec lowers boom on big spenders

A PRESIDENTIAL candidate has already exceeded the allotted 120-minute airtime per station set by the Fair Elections Act.
But Comelec Law Department Director Ferdinand Rafanan declined to identify the candidate as the poll body’s Education and Information Department (EID) is double-checking the time consumption.
Rafanan said once the EID is done verifying data, then that is the time to identify the candidate.
"Maybe during the Holy Week para they have time to repent," he quipped.
A recent study by the Pera’t Pulitika 2010 found Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar of the Nacionalista party as having consumed 102.75 and 100 minutes of airtime in GMA 7 and ABS-CBN 2 from February 9 to March 15.
Pera’t Pulitika 2010 was launched last February by various groups that include journalists, lawyers and from the academe to monitor the campaign advertisements of the top six candidates for president.
A candidate is allowed 120 minutes of ad airtime per TV station and 180 minutes per radio station.
Rafanan said those found to have abused their allotted airtime will be barred from coming up with succeeding campaign ads.
Violating airtime advertisements is considered an election offense and carries a penalty of one to six year imprisonment, as well as removal of right of suffrage under R.A. 9006 or the Fair Election Act.
A Comelec official suggested a solution to regulate political advertisements featuring numerous candidates by simply charging the ad sponsors.
"Kung ano lang yung nasa ‘paid for...’, yung ‘paid for’ clause... siya ang sisingilin," said Comelec-EID Director James Jimenez.
Comelec had admitted being ill-prepared in dealing with "group ads" or "multiple ads" where a presidential candidate appears with his party’s ticket
Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal had said they are clueless on how to charge candidates who may have appeared for just a fraction of the commercial.
But for Jimenez, the content of the advertisement should be immaterial since it is not the basis of the spending.
"Immaterial yung appearance nung candidate sa ad. Ang tinitingnan ng batas yung oras. The law does not check the content," he said.
The Comelec Law Department wrote top six candidates for president where it gave them a three-day ultimatum to bring down their oversized campaign paraphernalia and those posted in places not designated as common poster areas.
The separate letters were sent to Bro. Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas), Benigno Aquino III (Liberal Party), Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan), Joseph Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (Lakas-Kampi CMD) and Manny Villar (Nacionalista Party).
Rafanan said Comelec would initiate disqualification proceedings and election offense cases against those who fail to comply.
Comelec also sent warning letters to vice presidential candidates Perfecto Yasay (Bangon Pilipinas), Bayani Fernando (Bagumbayan), and Jejomar Binay (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), as well as senatorial aspirants Jose de Venecia III, JV Bautista, Lito Lapid, Rey Langit, Vicente Sotto III and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Party-list organizations Bukid and A-Tambay were also given similar warnings.
Evidence of the illegal campaign materials was submitted by personnel Comelec-EID after they went around Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Election offenses carry a penalty of one to six years of imprisonment along with the removal of the right to suffrage.
Malacañang said President Arroyo will order the pullout of her governance advertisements if the Comelec calls for it.
Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said the contract for the ads, which is held by government agencies and not President Arroyo, could be suspended until after the May 10 elections.
"Ang mangyayari dito, it is the government that will end up violating. These are not campaign ads by the candidate – President Arroyo. The prohibition here is use of government resources to campaign for a candidate. Iyon ang bawal. President Arroyo can, if she wants, run advertisements for her campaign…What is not allowed is the use of government resources for an ad campaign or announcement that will favor a candidate," he said.

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