One cannot escape the barrage of local TV shows, radio programs, and all forms of personal appearances to promote a person who is clearly seeking public office in elections to be held in May 2013.
When media asked Comelec Spokesperson Jaime Jimenez, the official response was: “Technically, there is nothing the Comelec can do because nobody has yet filed his/her Certificate of Candidacy, and the official campaign period has not yet been declared. Unless there is a legislative action to pass a law, there is yet no violation.”
The question is: Who is that brave and furious legislator who will pass such a law?
If there will be any bill proposed like the one authored by Sen. Miriam Santiago labeled as the Anti-Epal Bill, it may not pass, knowing that some of the very people that the bill seeks to penalize are legislators themselves.
To be fair, the late Gov. Emilio Macias and Gov. Tuting Perdices did not engage in these self- serving signages. Former Gov. George Arnaiz now Congressman did not advertise himself either in project signs or highway tarpaulins.
The COMELEC may not be able, as yet, to act on complaints of “premature campaigning” due to lack of legal basis, but civic groups like the Anti-Epal movement headed by “Juana Change” and Carlos Celdran are busily raising public awareness against those who have the habit of pasting their pretty pictures, names, greetings with self- serving messages in public places and highways. These groups are in fact campaigning not to have these people voted upon or to be dropped from your ballots.
But really, is this ka-epalan an effective means of campaigning? Has anyone won an election by just putting up his face on as many tarpaulins as he could? Does anyone really look at the tarpaulins with the aim of voting for those who have the most tarpaulins?
The truth is: Nobody has won an election on the basis of having the most number of tarpaulins.
Case in point is the most surprising victory of Binay versus Roxas for the vice-presidency. Roxas was riding high with the popularity ratings of P-noy but Binay still won because he worked hard to seek out all local leaders all the way until the day of the elections. There were even whispers that Binay was on a private plane roaming around Visayas and Mindanao, including Dumaguete, making generous offers to political leaders if they will include him alone by a single shot as Vice President. Many doubted the theory of Roxas that he lost because of manipulations of the PCOS. You be the judge!
While the Comelec may be toothless against these ka-epalan at this time, there are other means of penalizing such practices. If government funds are used, will these pass the audit of COA? And even if it passes government audit, will it pass the sense and sensibilities of the public?
In some quarters, ka-epalan has become obnoxious that it has backfired on these political personalities. The silent majority are actually asking if such public funds could by used more meaningfully in other projects for the common welfare.
Like what the late Gov. Tuting Perdices used to say: “Lihok pasultihon, dili baba!” (Let your actions do the talking; not the mouth!)
