MIRIAM IRKED BY CABINET OFFICIALS' INFOMERCIALS

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago today called for a Senate investigation on government infomercials featuring cabinet members and other officials of the executive branch.

Santiago said that the infomercials may be a ploy to circumvent the ban against premature campaigning.

"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, for the simple reason that these cabinet members engage only in such infomercials in the year prior to election year and at no other time, and for no other reason than personal political publicity," Santiago said.

Aside from violating election laws, Santiago said the infomercials transgress the constitutional guarantee to equal access to opportunities for public service.

"These infomercials could be a guise used by political aspirants to advantageously campaign ahead of other aspiring candidates," Santiago said. "By using public funds, these government officials have the financial mechanism to campaign ahead of others."

Santiago said the infomercials also violate the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, which provides that all government resources must be employed and used efficiently, effectively, honestly, and economically, particularly to avoid wastage in public funds and revenues.

Santiago had earlier filed a petition with the Supreme Court (G.R. No. 184044, Miriam Defensor Santiago v. Comelec), seeking an injunction against some of her fellow senators from conducting a premature campaign in the guise of endorsing certain commercial products.

"If the practice by incumbent senators of allegedly endorsing commercial products constitute a morally and legally questionable violation of the campaign ban, the use by cabinet members seeking elective public office of so-called infomercials is even more reprehensible, because such infomercials are apparently paid for by the public funds of their respective departments," she said.

In a resolution to be filed on Monday, Santiago cited the following officials who appeared in various infomercials: Interior and Local Government Sec. Ronaldo Puno; Health Sec. Francisco Duque III; Finance Sec. Margarito Teves; Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro; Public Works and Highway Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane; Education Sec. Jesli Lapus; Agrarian Reform Sec. Nasser Pangandaman; Vice-President Noli de Castro; Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation Chair Ephraim Genuino; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Chair Augusto Syjuco; Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando; and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay.

"While on the one hand it can be argued that election spending has a stimulative effect on economic activity, on the other hand, this argument falls when election spending is conducted in violation of the Constitution and the law," Santiago said.

Santiago wants the cabinet members found engaging in premature campaigning to be disqualified from running for an elective position and to be charged accordingly in the Office of the Ombudsman.