MANILA – Celebrities and other big names in the country’s entertainment industry were told to go on leave by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday if they are endorsing national and local candidates running in the May 10 polls.
If they refuse, lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan, the head of the Comelec law department, warned charges would be filed against them for alleged violation of the country’s Fair Elections Act.
Also on Thursday, the Supreme Court (SC) removed the last remaining legal obstacle to the country’s historic attempt to computerize the coming elections by junking several petitions for the SC to reconsider its decision declaring the move as legal and above board.
By a vote of 13-2, a High Court spokesman said the SC reiterated its earlier ruling which declared the Comelec did not commit any irregularity or committed grave abuse of discretion in awarding the automation contract to the foreign-based firm Smartmatic and its local partner, the Total Information Management Corporation.
Moreover, the spokesman said the SC noted the arguments presented by the petitioners in their motions for reconsideration were nothing new and thus, a “rehash.â€
At the Comelec, meanwhile, Rafanan defended the poll agency’s action which advised the celebrity-endorsers to go on leave as he pointed out this is in line with law’s objective to ensure a level playing field to all candidates running in May.
Rafanan warned that violators would be penalized with an imprisonment of from one to six years, disqualification from holding public office and disenfranchisement or the deprival of the right to vote.
He encouraged the public to file the necessary complaints before the Comelec against celebrities and other entertainment figures found endorsing their candidates in their own radio or TV shows or joining the bets in their campaign sorties nationwide without going on leave.
He assured the Comelec would act decisively on these complaints which, in part elections, were, however, observed more in breach than in compliance.
Actors, singers and other entertainment industry figures are reportedly paid huge sums to endorse certain candidates or to accompany them in their election stumps both as crowd drawers or as possible vote-getters.
Observers have noted that the two leading presidential candidates – Senator Benigno “Noynoy†Aquino 3rd and Senator Manuel Villar – have the most number of celebrities and entertainers in their camps.
For instance, Aquino, the only son of the late global democracy icon president Corazon Aquino and the standard bearer of the Liberal Party, has for his “volunteer†endorsers and supporters, including his own sister Kris, a noted TV talk show host and actress, as well as established movie “megastars†Sharon Cuneta, the wife of Senator Francis Pangilinan; Vilma Santos, the governor of Batangas province in Southern Luzon and wife of former senator Ralph Recto who is running to regain his seat; as well as young stars like Marian Rivera, Bea Alonso, Gretchen Barretto,Kim Chiu and Kris Bernal, among others.
At the camp of Villar, the standard bearer of the Nacionalista Party, are veteran comedian Dolphy, singer Sarah Geronimo, Filipino and world boxing icon Manny “Pacman†Pacquiao, actor Richard Gutierrez and Willie Revillame, the host of a popular noontime TV show.
In reaction to the Comelec statement, a spokesman of ABS-CBN, the country’s largest radio-television network, said they allow their “talents†to endorse candidates but are banned from doing so in their own shows.
The spokesman added management would order those found violating the company policy to either go on leave from their shows or resign.
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