PHNO-HL: CBCP WARNED PUBLIC VS POLITICIANS USING CALAMITIES TO GAIN EXPOSURE

CBCP WARNED PUBLIC VS POLITICIANS USING
CALAMITIES TO GAIN EXPOSURE

[VIDEO- Most netizens
slammed politicians who joined Aquino in relief operations]
MANILA, AUGUST 13, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By Evelyn Macairan - An official of
the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday urged the
public not to vote for personalities perceived to have used last week's calamity
to promote their political career.
"If it would be proven that they went to these calamity areas in order to
gain the people's vote, that could be used as a basis for the people not to vote
for them," said Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, CBCP-Public Affairs
Committee (PAC) chairman.
Iniguez cited reports of senatorial wannabes accompanying President Aquino
who visited evacuation sites and flooded areas in Metro Manila and nearby
provinces.
Iniguez noted the criticisms that the senatorial wannabes used the visit as
an opportunity for public exposure in preparation for next year's elections.

While it was important that the President went around to look into the
condition of the people and show his concern to their current plight, Iniguez
said he could not discount the possibility that there were others who might take
advantage of the situation.
"The people should study the candidates and determine why were they there
(with the President). It is possible that they wanted to make use of the
opportunity, but may be they also have good intentions. But let us not judge
them immediately," he said.
In his Central Luzon swing Friday, President Aquino brought along Aurora Rep.
Juan Edgardo Angara, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) chief Joel Villanueva and former Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros.

The three are eyeing slots in the administration's senatorial ticket. They
were also with the President in visits to some areas in Metro Manila.
Another senatorial wannabe, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, joined the
presidential party in Muntinlupa City where he served as its congressman before
his father, former Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, won his congressional seat in 2010.
Angara said he wouldn't think of it as early campaigning.
"We didn't think of that as early campaigning. We were asked to help and we
didn't think twice. Between helping and staying, I chose to help. Most would
have done the same," Angara said Friday.
FROM THE INQUIRER RESEARCH
Netizens slam politicians riding on disaster By TJ
Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:30 am | Friday, August 10th, 2012
"Electioneering in the midst of disaster."


Facebook user Rolando Luzong posted this line on his account to describe a
photo of a waving President Benigno Aquino aboard an Army truck alongside his
potential senatorial candidates in a relief operation to help flood victims in
Muntinlupa City.

The photo showed the President with his Liberal Party allies, Bureau of
Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon, Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority director general Joel Villanueva, Department of Transportation and
Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas and former Akbayan party-list
Representative Risa Hontiveros.

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara, Villanueva and Hontiveros were
also seen with the President visiting flood victims who had sought shelter at a
public school in Nangka, Marikina, and riding an Army truck with him to check on
flooded areas in the same village.

These politicians drew criticism in cyberspace for allegedly trying to
bolster their popularity for next year's elections by distributing relief goods,
including repackaged ones that contained their names and photographs.

Mr. Aquino, who motored for four to five hours to visit evacuation centers in
four cities and a town in the capital, justified their presence.

"Of course, those helping us—Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros and Sonny
Angara—are here," the President said when he introduced them to evacuees at the
Gen. T. de Leon High School in Valenzuela City.

"Sonny is here because it's budget season in Congress. If we have a project,
it's Sonny who will push for our interest," he added.

Angara, Villanueva, Hontiveros and Biazon are reportedly being eyed
for inclusion in the administration's senatorial slate in the 2013 mid-term
elections.

"I'm just helping out. I guess there's nothing wrong with that. We were asked
to go along with the Cabinet," Angara said in a phone interview. "It's part of
being in politics. You can't please everyone."

Villanueva, for his part, said his relief operation was by invitation. "First
of all, I'm a member of the Cabinet and anytime the President wants to be
anywhere, I will be there. Besides, in those places which we visited, including
Bagong Silangan, we have trained residents in disaster management."

He said he had not kept his political ambition a secret and that he'd prefer
to learn the ropes and find out about the concerns of the people now, rather
than after he gets elected.

Hontiveros said she was asked by the President to join his visits to
evacuation centers because of Akbayan's relief operations in Marikina, Pasig and
Caloocan cities.

"He wanted us to join forces for a day," she said by phone, explaining that
Akbayan had reactivated its relief centers in the aftermath of the heavy
flooding.

Netizens had a field day posting their reactions to the politicians' alleged
electioneering activities.

"Anyone else notice how the relief operations by the President is turning out
to be campaign sorties for Risa Hontiveros and his other senatorial candidates
for 2013?" Facebook user Joaquin Ang posted.

A number of social networking sites also displayed and slammed images of
canned goods bearing photos of politicians, including a hashtag #epalwatch on
Twitter, an account named "epalwatch" on the free blog hosting platform Tumblr
and a number of pages on Facebook such as the Anti-Epal page.

In epalwatch.tumblr.com, "epal" is defined as "any public official who has
his/her name/image on any public signage, public space, and/or public property …
or anything that relates to such behavior." It also described precampaigning as
an "epal activity."

Actress Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan tweeted: "Please lang po, kung tutulong kayo,
'wag n'yo naman gawing promo para sa mga plataporma ninyo. 'Wag kayong epal!
Hindi ko talaga kayo iboboto (Please, if you wish to help, don't make it a
promotional campaign for your political platforms. Don't be scene stealers! I'm
not voting for you)."

A Facebook post which had about 3,000 shares was also circulated online. It
said: "Fellow Filipinos please spread: Any grandstanding politician who will
display his or her photos or banners in relief operations will be photographed,
archived and forever mocked in an online site of shame. This is a time for
solidarity, not an opportunity for political prospecting. Thank you."

User @MrFrancisBaraan posted on his Twitter account: "To those politicians
whose ulterior motive for sending out relief goods for flood victims is to get
reelected, shame on you."

Twitter user @ederic also posted on his account: "Hello politicians, do not
use this disaster for your 2013 campaign. Someone did that during Ondoy. That
candidate lost."

On a positive note, a post on the Facebook page Anti-Epal showed relief
operations by the Department of Social Welfare and Development accompanied by
the comment: "The DSWD gave out relief goods yesterday. Look at the bag: No
names, no faces, just the way it should be."

Twitter user @mistervader, however, came to the President's rescue: "My
problem with the whole #epalwatch thing vs Noynoy is … if he didn't do what he
did yesterday, we'd call him lazy. The guy can't win."
Inquirer Research



Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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rights reserved




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