The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will not anymore require celebrities who endorse candidates for the coming elections to resign from their shows, retracting an earlier statement made by a poll official.

The Comelec said it is leaving it up to the networks or media outfits to regulate their talents and make sure that they would not use the airtime in their programs to benefit a particular candidate or political party, according to Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

It is also up to the media company whether it would advise its actors, hosts, broadcasters or columnists to take a leave of absence for the length of the campaign period.

“It is clearly laid out in the law, there is no requirement from the Comelec for a particular media practitioner to resign or take a leave. The discretion is left to the network or the person involved,” said Larrazabal.

Larrazabal's statement came after the complaint filed by vice-presidential aspirant Edu Manzano asking to suspend the Comelec gag rule on celebrity endorsers, saying its implementation would deprive actors and media personalities of their “source of livelihood.”

Last week, election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) had asked the Comelec to require celebrity endorsers to take time off from their television stints during the length of the campaign period.

Comelec law department head Ferdinand Rafanan agreed with the PPCRV, citing Section 6.6 of Republic Act 9006 of the Fair Elections Act which provides: “Any mass media comlumnist, commentator, announcer, reporter, on-air correspondent or personality who is a candidate for any elective public office or is a camapaign volunteer for or employed or retained in any capacity by a candidate or political party shall be deemed resigned, if so rewuired by their employer, or shall take a leave of absence from his/her work as such during the campaign period:”

“Provided, that any media practitioner who is an official of a political party or member of the campaign staff or candidate of a political party shall not use his/her space to favor any candidate or political party.”

Leading television networks GMA7 and ABS-CBN 2, whence most celebrity endorsers come, have both issued statements on the issue, albeit with differing views.

GMA Network Inc. has earlier advised its talents to take a leave from work, in compliance with the Comelec rule.

ABS-CBN, on the other hand, said there is no need for such ruling since the network has long observed self-regulation over its talents and has prohibited them from using their shows to favor a particular candidate.

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