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Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Comelec says Cabinet members can campaign
MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified Tuesday that Cabinet members and even incumbent government officials can campaign for an incumbent president.
Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. said no election law bars Cabinet officials as well as incumbent mayors, governors and congressmen from campaigning for the incumbent president.
What is illegal though, Abalos said, is campaigning outside of the prescribed period, which is considered electioneering and would likely result to the filing of charges against the candidate concerned and lead to disqualification of the aspirant.
"They (Cabinet members) can campaign for the President but now is not the time," he said. The campaign period starts early next month yet.
Abalos also said the Comelec already sent out letters to candidates and ordered them to remove the posters or campaign materials within the next three days to avoid facing sanctions or charges.
Comelec's clarification came after former Sen. Francisco Tatad planned to file a disqualification case against President Arroyo for allegedly turning her entire Cabinet into a campaign group.
This, as deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo denied Tatad's accusation.
In the Senate, Sen. Joker Arroyo said he believes that any disqualification complaint against the President will not prosper.
Tatad claimed Monday that Arroyo violated the anti-graft and corrupt practices law and the Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees when she appointed Housing Sec. Michael Defensor, the spokesperson on political matters, as media coordinator for the campaign and Defense Sec. Eduardo Ermita as officer-in-charge of logistics for her campaign.
Tatad said such acts are "grossly immoral since it destructs the neutrality and non-partisanship of the civil service."
At the same time, Tatad questioned the proliferation of President Arroyo's posters in the entire country, which he claimed, has no link to government projects.
Denial
Saludo belied the allegations of Tatad Tuesday, which he described as "baseless but a predictable thing for some opposition members to say."
Saludo, however, admitted that some of the Cabinet meetings focused on election preparations and the President's campaign activities, but he stressed they only want to ensure that operations in the different departments would not be derailed if presidential appointees decide to actively join the campaign.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye, for his part, said he expects the "gimmick of Tatad to go directly to wastebasket."
He said the public should dismiss attacks on government programs and policies that are aimed at ensuring the steady continued delivery of services to public.
Bunye said Cabinet members are aware of the existing rules and regulations and they "strictly uphold lawful and clean politics."
No basis
Senator Arroyo, meanwhile, said any disqualification complaint against President Arroyo would not prosper because of lack of basis.
Sen. Arroyo said it is normal for the President to go around with her Cabinet members because of projects and programs the government is implementing.
But this doesn't mean the President is already campaigning for the next elections, he added.
Sen. Arroyo said in the past, Cabinet members were allowed to campaign because they are political appointees.
"There is no gray area there. Cabinet members campaign precisely because they are political appointees. You cannot prevent the President from going around, with the appointees," he said.
Poster
Defensor said they would take down all posters and other information materials pertaining to President Arroyo's programs displayed throughout the country until the election campaign period starts.
Defensor said the administration respects and would obey the directive of the Comelec for the removal of all campaign posters and ads that can be perceived as a form of early campaigning.
Defensor was pertaining to posters of Arroyo with the backdrop of the colors of the Philippine flag and the inscription "Umasa Tayo sa Bayang Asenso (Let's Hope on a Progressive Country)" displayed in several parts of the country.
He said they would remove the posters and return them once the campaign period starts.
He assured that the administration would abide by the common poster area policy as he stressed that trees and school buildings should be spared from posters and other campaign paraphernalia.
Bunye asked supporters of the President to refrain from placing ads of any kind, both supportive of the administration and against other presidential aspirants, until the campaign period starts. Marie Neri/SCT/JPM
(January 28, 2004 issue)
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