Some candidates in the upcoming national elections in the Philippines especially those running for elective positions with national constituency, are now taking advantage of the opportunity to gain media mileage for free courtesy of Manny Pacquiao.
Once a candidate takes side on the burning issue of the day like the ongoing Pacquiao-LGBT community controversy, that candidate gets exposed to millions of fans or sympathizers of the contending parties. Without spending a single cent, voters get to know him and his advocacy or campaign platform. The Pacquiao-LGBT issue has gone viral on the Internet and anyone who joins the discussion gets exposed to millions of viewers who are tuned in the social media. Defending on the candidate’s stand on the issue, he can connect with the viewers who are potential voters. Candidates who are seeking senate seats could either praise or attack Pacquiao on his stand about same sex-marriage to get voters’ attention. The relentless attack on Pacquiao this past several days regarding his stand on same-sex marriages could be politically-motivated as senatorial candidates are now taking sides on the controversial issue. A case in point is the filing of complaint by senatorial candidate Walden Bello for violation of a Comelec rule on advertising or endorsement by a candidate during the campaign period. This has something to do with Pacquiao’s upcoming fight against Timothy Bradley on April 9. Bello said Pacquiao could be violating a Comelec rule with the expected massive advertising and promotions that will spill over to the local media. Late last week, Comelec chair Andres Bautista said the poll body cannot act on Bello’s allegations unless there is an official complaint lodge before the Comelec. But early this week Bautista said the Comelec en bank will now discuss it following the complaint filed by Bello on Monday. ?The complaint will be discussed during the commission en banc meeting tomorrow (Tuesday),? Bautista said. While Bello can file a disqualification case against Pacquiao based on the Comelec rule as he already did on Monday, the poll body may find the case irrelevant as the fight is taking place in another country and governed by the applicable rules of that country. The fight has nothing to do with the elections in the Philippines and its promoters have no control over the publicity that spills over to the local media. What Bello can do is to ask concerned agencies of government to ban the inflow of information about the fight but it may not work because the information would still come in the form of news and not as advertising or promotions for the fight. Read more: While majority of the five presidential candidates are supporting Pacquiao on the controversial issue, others are taking sides apparently to gain more media mileage.
