Face-to-face campaign ban to favor rich candidates, Comelec warned
MANILA, Philippines — Ranking opposition lawmakers warned that banning face-to-face campaigns in light of the still-raging coronavirus pandemic would only benefit rich candidates as politicians would have to rely on “very expensive” online and media advertisements.
“If this happens then the next elections will just become a contest for the rich and famous while more Filipinos are disenfranchised,” Rep. Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna party-list) said Wednesday in a statement.
Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) frowned upon the possible ban, calling it “anti-poor.”
Thirty-second TV advertisements usually cost up to a few million pesos, depending on the timeslot when the commercial will air.
Zarate said the Commission on Elections should thoroughly study the possibility of banning face-to-face campaigns and urged it to still allow face-to-face campaigns with the proper health protocols.
In an interview on ANC, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez floated the possibility of a ban on face-to-face campaigning as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
However, he said that he is not certain whether there will be such a prohibition, adding that the Comelec would have to coordinate with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the government’s COVID-19 task force, said they would still have to talk with the Comelec if face-to-face campaigning would actually be banned, but conceded that this kind of campaigning poses a “great challenge and risk.” — Xave Gregorio
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