Miriam to grill Cabinet execs on ‘infomercials’
GMANews.TV
Eleven Cabinet officials and a local government chief would be summoned to the Senate on Friday to explain their infomercials which a senator claimed could be considered as premature campaigning.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, chairman of the economic affairs committee, said she would ask the government officials to explain the legal basis for the use of public funds for advertising themselves in the infomercials.
The finance officer and the resident Commission on Audit (COA) auditor of the concerned departments would also be asked to shed light on the sources of funding of the infomercials, Santiago said.
“By using public funds, these government officials have the financial mechanism to campaign ahead of others," she added.
Those invited to attend the hearing are:
* Vice-President Noli de Castro
* Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno
* Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
* Finance Secretary Margarito Teves
* Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro
* Public Works and Highway Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane
* Education Secretary Jesli Lapus
* Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman
* Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chair Ephraim Genuino
* Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Chair (Tesda) Augusto Syjuco
* Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando
* Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay
According to Santiago, the infomercials are being used for premature campaigning which he said is in violation of the Constitution and election laws.
"Unless a person is blind, deaf, or dumb, it is crystal clear that the alleged infomercials of Cabinet members are intended to camouflage the violation of the campaign ban," she said, noting that Cabinet members engage only in such infomercials in the year prior to election year.
The senator warned that if the 12 officials fail to appear on Friday, she would issue a subpoena to compel them to show up at the Senate.
Santiago had earlier filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking an injunction against several of her colleagues who she said were engaged in premature campaigning by endorsing certain commercial products.
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Ang galing at bilis ng mga taga medya makakita at makahanap ng mga kamalian at mga pagkukulang ng ating bayan, ngunit kapag sila ang may pagkukulang o kamalian, nagbubulag-bulagan at nagbibingi-bingihan lamang sila.
Mayron bang taga medya na nagsalita tungkol sa bagay na ito na binigyan pansin ang kanilang naging kamalian sa pagpatol nila sa mga politiko sa ganitong hindi tamang gawain?
Sa kaso sa Wowowee, sabi ng MTRCB, "Willie Revillame violated code of ethics". E kung totoosin, mas malaking "violation of ethics" pa dapat itong pagpayag ng mga radyo at telebesyon na maipalabas sa kanilang mga hintilan itong mga wala-pa-sa-panahong pangangampanya na kinukubli bilang pampolitkong patalastas.
Anong ahensya kaya ng pamahalaan ang may sapat na otoridad at kapangyarihan na dapat ang totogon sa hindi dapat na nakasanayan na maling gawain ng mga politko at mga taga-medya?
Minsan ang medya ay isang mapagkunwari. Kunwari panig sa bayan, panig sa katutuhanan. Subalit may mga panahon na kailangan ang kanilang "judgement call" tungkol sa bagay na madidihado sila, e nagigi silang hipokrito. Ang lakas pang magsulong ng adbokasiya ng pagbabago na magsimula sa bawat sarili, subalit sa sarili nila mismo ay di magawang simulan ang pagbabago. E ito ba ay dahil palibhasa medya ay sanay sa mga palabas sa kanilang mga radyo at telebesyon kaya palabas din lang ang anyong pagbabago?
Taga medya, kailan pa kaya kayo talagang totoong magbabago, at ng maituwid naman ninyo itong baloktot na nakasanayang maling gawain na ito ng mga politiko na walang sawang tinatangkilik ninyo sa mahabang panahon na, at naging isa sa dahilan na ang mga politko (at minsan kayo din mismo) ay nagiging tiwali.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, chairman of the economic affairs committee, said she would ask the government officials to explain the legal basis for the use of public funds for advertising themselves in the infomercials.
The finance officer and the resident Commission on Audit (COA) auditor of the concerned departments would also be asked to shed light on the sources of funding of the infomercials, Santiago said.
“By using public funds, these government officials have the financial mechanism to campaign ahead of others," she added.
Those invited to attend the hearing are:
* Vice-President Noli de Castro
* Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno
* Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
* Finance Secretary Margarito Teves
* Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro
* Public Works and Highway Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane
* Education Secretary Jesli Lapus
* Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman
* Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chair Ephraim Genuino
* Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Chair (Tesda) Augusto Syjuco
* Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando
* Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay
According to Santiago, the infomercials are being used for premature campaigning which he said is in violation of the Constitution and election laws.
"Unless a person is blind, deaf, or dumb, it is crystal clear that the alleged infomercials of Cabinet members are intended to camouflage the violation of the campaign ban," she said, noting that Cabinet members engage only in such infomercials in the year prior to election year.
The senator warned that if the 12 officials fail to appear on Friday, she would issue a subpoena to compel them to show up at the Senate.
Santiago had earlier filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking an injunction against several of her colleagues who she said were engaged in premature campaigning by endorsing certain commercial products.
----------
Ang galing at bilis ng mga taga medya makakita at makahanap ng mga kamalian at mga pagkukulang ng ating bayan, ngunit kapag sila ang may pagkukulang o kamalian, nagbubulag-bulagan at nagbibingi-bingihan lamang sila.
Mayron bang taga medya na nagsalita tungkol sa bagay na ito na binigyan pansin ang kanilang naging kamalian sa pagpatol nila sa mga politiko sa ganitong hindi tamang gawain?
Sa kaso sa Wowowee, sabi ng MTRCB, "Willie Revillame violated code of ethics". E kung totoosin, mas malaking "violation of ethics" pa dapat itong pagpayag ng mga radyo at telebesyon na maipalabas sa kanilang mga hintilan itong mga wala-pa-sa-panahong pangangampanya na kinukubli bilang pampolitkong patalastas.
Anong ahensya kaya ng pamahalaan ang may sapat na otoridad at kapangyarihan na dapat ang totogon sa hindi dapat na nakasanayan na maling gawain ng mga politko at mga taga-medya?
Minsan ang medya ay isang mapagkunwari. Kunwari panig sa bayan, panig sa katutuhanan. Subalit may mga panahon na kailangan ang kanilang "judgement call" tungkol sa bagay na madidihado sila, e nagigi silang hipokrito. Ang lakas pang magsulong ng adbokasiya ng pagbabago na magsimula sa bawat sarili, subalit sa sarili nila mismo ay di magawang simulan ang pagbabago. E ito ba ay dahil palibhasa medya ay sanay sa mga palabas sa kanilang mga radyo at telebesyon kaya palabas din lang ang anyong pagbabago?
Taga medya, kailan pa kaya kayo talagang totoong magbabago, at ng maituwid naman ninyo itong baloktot na nakasanayang maling gawain na ito ng mga politiko na walang sawang tinatangkilik ninyo sa mahabang panahon na, at naging isa sa dahilan na ang mga politko (at minsan kayo din mismo) ay nagiging tiwali.
