Honasan eyes electoral reforms

CEBU, Philippines - United Nationalist Alliance senatorial candidate Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan believes that the Commission on Elections should have addressed the “air time limit” long before the campaign period started.

Honasan, who was in Cebu yesterday to attend the 136th birth anniversary of Don Vicente Sotto, said that he will push for electoral reforms if reelected.

“For me, walang epekto sa akin. Wala naman akong advertisements,” Honasan said on the recent decision of the Supreme Court prohibiting the Comelec from implementing the airtime limits on radio and television advertisements of candidates.

Senate majority floor leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto, II, who is one of the authors of the Fair Elections Act of 2001, said that “a candidate should only have 120 minutes airtime and not 120 minutes per station.”

Sotto said that chairman Sixto Brillantes was right in implementing the law. But the Supreme Court overruled the Comelec.

“I sympathized with Commissioner Brillantes. He is just merely implementing the law,” Sotto said.

The law, Sotto added, is simply to create a fair playing field for all candidates, whether rich or poor but sad to note that this is not what is happening on the ground.

“If you look at our posters, naka-smile kami (candidates) but deep inside hindi kami happy kasi ang laki ng gastos,” said Sotto, who urged Cebuano voters to vote for senatorial candidates who have the track record and the performance.

Sotto, who is campaigning for Honasan, said that of all the 33 senatorial candidates, the latter is the only candidate who laid his life and his family’s security in line for the people in this country.

Honasan on the other hand said he was humbled by the recent endorsement made by some pro-life organizations.

“For me that is not so much of an endorsement but a recognition of the pro-life stand that I have adopted consistently,” he said.

“My faith is stronger, clearer and more predictable than my politics. I look this issue beyond the present campaign period. I have been consistently pro-life, protecting the family, the Filipino lives and protecting the life of our nation,” Honasan said. —FPL (FREEMAN)