Edu Manzano

Former Optical Media Board (OMB) chairman and now vice presidential contender Edu Manzano is (as of this writing) asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to lift or suspend its plan to stop celebrities from endorsing political candidates. Edu defended his fellow showbiz celebrities in a letter addressed to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo through his lawyer, Romulo Macalintal.

In the letter, Edu gave three reasons for his stand. The first centers on the equal protection clause of the Constitution. Edu stated that other “personalities” who also endorse candidates are not asked or required to take a leave of absence from their work. These include professional basketball players, a popular inventor, bowler, etc. He adds that movie or TV “personalities” who also endorse a candidate but who have no current TV show or program can earn a living endorsing as many candidates as they want or can still continue making their movies to be shown after election. But their counterparts who have TV or radio shows are asked to stop working and are deprived of their livelihood by endorsing candidates.

The second involves deprivation of property without due process. He believes that movie and TV stars should not be deprived of lawful means of livelihood by the exercise of their right of suffrage or by merely campaigning for their chosen candidates. In Edu’s case, this means curtailing existing contracts with his fellow stars.

The third reason touches on the right to freedom of expression. Anyone, he explains, has the right to express his or her choice of candidates. Requiring a media personality to take a leave of absence because he is exercising this right “practically restrains or restricts an expression in advance of actual publication and dissemination.”

Edu asked the Comelec to immediately act on his petition since the resolution was supposed to take effect last Feb. 13, a week after its publication.

Edu also said the government may even profit from celebrity endorsers by taxing their income from political endorsements. But, “not all celebrities are endorsing politicians for a fee. Some of them are making endorsements because they truly believe in what the candidate stands for,” he clarified. However, with respect to those getting paid, the government does collect withholding, value-added and other forms of taxes on professional fees.

In this case, the government should prefer that celebrities are paid “because then the National Treasury makes extra money in the process,” Edu said. He added that the professional fee payments to celebrities could help the Comelec monitor closely election-related spending by the candidates.

The vice-presidentiable expressed confidence that the Comelec would consider judiciously his plea to suspend the rule that requires movie and TV celebrities who have endorsed politician to take a leave of absence during the campaign period.

“We are hopeful the Comelec will recognize the soundness of our petition to review this rule, as contained in Section 36 of Resolution 8758,” Edu said. The rule also covers media practitioners such as newspaper columnists and broadcast public affairs personalities.

“Celebrities in America are free to openly campaign for any candidate. They are in fact also free to criticize candidates in the spirit of free expression,” Edu added. “This brings us to this question: If movie and TV stars cannot openly support politicians without taking a vacation, can they openly criticize politicians and still keep appearing in shows?”

Incidentally, Edu was former vice mayor of Makati (1998-2001) and was national president of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines and the Vice Mayors Foundation. During his tenure, he won the Parangal ng Bayan award and the Huwarang Pilipino Award for Public Service.

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GMA Network statement on talents endorsing candidates

GMA Network agrees with the interpretation of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Comelec’s Legal Department of Section 6.6 of the Fair Elections Act concerning media personalities campaigning for or endorsing candidates.

However, given that Comelec has clarified that it is not yet implementing this particular provision, in fairness to the Network’s talents and in order not to put them and the candidates they may be endorsing at a disadvantage, GMA Network will not at this time require its on-cam talents who campaign for or endorse candidates to take a leave of absence from their programs.

Dingdong’s statement

Here’s Dingdong Dantes’ official statement regarding the Comelec issue:

“The Comelec rule prevents artists from participating responsibly in a very important political exercise. It even deprives some artists the chance to earn extra income only because they are working in a candidate’s campaign. Worst, it forces many artists like me who are volunteering for Kuya Noynoy Aquino for free, even shouldering our own expenses, to choose between making a decent living and making a difference in a supposedly democratic exercise. I appeal to the sense of reason of the Comelec and Supreme Court to clarify the present issue and what I perceive as a flaw in the law. I request legal luminaries to guide and support us on this important issue. Most of all, I call on my friends and fellow workers in the industry to make our common stand.”

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Kris Aquino to grace Philip Stein’s ‘The Yellow Paintings’ exhibit

TV personality Kris Aquino is set to grace an exhibit that honors the remarkable legacy of her legendary mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, and the spirit of EDSA.

Titled, “The Yellow Paintings: A Tribute to Cory Aquino and the Spirit of EDSA,” the exhibit will run from Feb. 15 through 21, at The Podium, Ortigas and will feature masterpieces by noted Filipino artists Arturo Luz, Richard Arimado, Karina Baluyut, Amador Barquilla, Jovan Benito, Vincent de Pio, Jomar Delluba, Aileen Lanuza, Carlo Magno, Jerry Morada, Henry Ordona, Ramon Orlina, Mario Parial, Aljo Pingol, Dominic Rubio, Edwin Tres Reyes, and Lydia Velasco.

These artists have channeled their varied interpretations of the spirit of EDSA through different media, with the symbolic color yellow imbibed in the artworks. The exhibit also marks the formal launch of the Philip Stein Corazon C. Aquino Commemorative Watch and “The Art and Soul of Cory,” a coffee table book featuring a complete compilation of the paintings of the late President.

“We at Philip Stein share the same admiration Filipinos have for Mrs. Aquino and her EDSA legacy. Together with these esteemed artists, Philip Stein is presenting this exhibit to pay homage to the former president and at the same time, to continuously delight not only our customers but also the public with awe-inspiring artworks,” says Emerson Yao, managing director of Lucerne Group of Companies. “In fact, we launched the Philip Stein Corazon Aquino Commemorative Watch as our way of recognizing and honoring her innumerable and vital contributions to the Filipinos.”

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings on Feb. 18 go to veteran actors Perla Bautista and Robert Campos, Ret. Judge Prudencio Altre Castillo, Christopher Michael, A. Zamora, Dodo Puzon Melicor, Lydia C. Tensuan, Norma Razo, Ester Banzon-Parungao, Carlito Pascual, Dr. Bernadette Coden, Atty. Felipe “Jun” Medina, Arleen Y. Asuncion, Brenan Espartinez, Clarence Jacob G. Martinez and MB’s business editor Loreto Cabanes.