2013 battle begins

Team PNoy Launches Campaign In Plaza Miranda; UNA In Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — Expect all sorts of mudslinging, bickering, as well as self-aggrandizement among candidates and their supporters to intensify as the 90-day campaign period for the May, 2013, elections for national and party-list candidates starts today.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had earlier set the campaign period for those running for senator and party-list groups in the May 13 polls from February 12 to May 11, 2013.

Expected to kick-off their campaigns are the 33 senatorial candidates led by the administration’s Team PNoy members Juan Edgardo Angara (Laban); Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Maria Ana Consuelo Madrigal, and Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (Liberal Party); Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Cynthia Villar (Nacionalista Party); Ana Theresia Hontiveros (Akbayan); and Aquilino Martin Pimentel III (PDP-Laban).

From the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) are Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Margarita Cojuangco, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Ernesto Maceda, Maria Milagros Esperanza Magsaysay, and Juan Miguel Zubiri; and Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. (Nationalist Peoples Coalition).

Three others – Sen. Loren Legarda (NPC), and independents Sen. Francis Joseph Escudero, and Mary Grace Llamanzares – are common candidates of the Team PNoy and UNA.

Team PNoy will launch its campaign at the historic Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila, while UNA will have its kick-off rally at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City. (Related story on Visayas page.)

Other candidates are: John Carlos de los Reyes, Marwil Llasos, and Rizalito David (Ang Kapatiran Party); Teodoro Casiño (Makabayan); Greco Antonious Beda Belgica (Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP); Baldomero Falcone; and Christian Señeres; Samson Alcantara (Social Justice Society (SJS) Party; Bro. Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas Party); and independent candidates Ricardo Penson, Edward Hagedorn, and Ramon Montaño.

Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III and House Majority Leader and Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo, LP spokesmen, said Team PNoy, including the leaders of the coalition and their supporters, are ready for today’s proclamation which will be attended by all the

12 senatorial bets, including the three common candidates.

“Handa po ang Team PNoy sa start ng campaign. Lahat ng mga kandidato magsasalita at magsasalita rin ang alkalde ng Maynila na si Mayor Fred Lim at panghuli ang minamahal nating Pangulo na si Noynoy Aquino,” Tañada said in a press conference at LP-Balay headquarters in Cubao.

“We have been assured that all the 12 candidates will attend tomorrow,” he noted.

The city government of Manila has assured the security of everyone who will attend today’s kick-off rally of Team PNoy.

Chief Supt. Alex Gutierrez, Manila Police District (MPD) director, said police forces will be present during the event and will be assigned in strategic areas surrounding the venue.

Also expected to begin their campaign are the 123 qualified party-list groups, including those that were given temporary reprieve by the Supreme Court (SC).

In Resolution No. 9385, the poll body reminded candidates of the prohibited acts during the campaign period, namely: giving donations or gift in cash or in kind; and appointment or use of special policemen, confidential agents or the like.

Earlier, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes also reminded candidates that the start of the campaign period also marks the start of the regulation of campaign propaganda and the counting of campaign expenditure.

In Resolution No. 9615, the Comelec said the number of minutes allowable to each candidate shall now be counted in total and not per television or radio station just like in the past.

For each national candidate, the commission said their advertisements in the broadcast media must not be more than a combined total of 120 minutes for TV and 180 minutes for radio.

Also, the Comelec said there must be prior notice from the poll body before television and radio shows would interview candidates.

Similarly, the commission will implement the right to reply provision of the law, wherein bona fide candidates shall have the right to reply to charges published or aired against them and that they may invoke it to the newspaper, television, or radio stations.

As for published election propaganda, the poll body said the maximum size of print advertisements remains to be 1/4 page in broadsheets and 1/2 page in tabloids.

“Print advertisements shall not be published more than three times a week per newspaper, magazine, or other publication during the campaign period,” said the Comelec.

In the 2013 polls, the Comelec is also looking to police the online campaign propaganda of candidates for the first time.

In its rules, the Comelec said the maximum size for online materials for each candidate shall be medium (300 width x 250 height); square pop-up (250×250); vertical rectangle (240×400); large rectangle (336×280); rectangle (180×150); 3:1 rectangle (300×100); pop-under (7.20×300); full banner (468×60); half banner (234×60); micro bar (88×31); button 1 (120×90); button 2 (120×60); vertical banner (120×240); square button (125×125); leaderboard (728×90); wide skyscrapers (160×600); skyscraper (120×600); and half-page ad (300×600).

For the traditional campaign materials, the Comelec said lawful campaign materials include pamphlets, leaflets, cards, decals, stickers, or other written or printed materials the size of which does not exceed 8 ½ inches in width and 14 inches in length; handwritten or printed letters urging voters to vote for or against any particular political party or candidate for public office; posters made of cloth, paper, cardboard, or any other material, whether framed or posted, with an area not exceeding 2 feet by 3 feet; streamers not exceeding 3 feet by 8 feet in size displayed at the site and on the occasion of a public meeting or rally; and mobile units, vehicles motorcades of all types, whether engine or manpower driven or animal drawn, with or without sound systems or loud speakers and with or without lights.

All candidates are also mandated not to place posters in areas outside the common poster areas that were pre-identified by the local election officers in cities and municipalities, such as plazas, markets, and barangay centers.

They are, on the other hand, barred from placing campaign materials in trees, flowering plants, shrubs located along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public grounds as well as posts, the wall of a building or an existing public structure that is in active use.

The aggregate amount that a candidate or party may spend for election campaign shall only be P3 for every voter currently registered in the constituency where the candidate is running, and another P5 from their political parties, while independent candidates may spend P5 for every registered voters.

The Comelec had earlier opened an official Twitter account (@Comelec), wherein the public may report to the poll body violations of candidates during the campaign season through a simple tweet or Twitpic (pictures posted via Twitter). (Leslie Ann G. Aquino with reports from Charissa M. Luci and Jenny F. Manongdo, Manila Bulletin)