No let-up in "infomercials"

Let's see if the warning of Senator Miriam Santiago for public officials who'll be running for office in the 2010 elections, to pull out their respective "infomercials," be heeded or not. And if not, will feisty Maid Miriam be true to her word to file administrative charges with the Ombudsman? If so, would premature campaigning which may be the obvious cause of action, legally lie to anchor on?

Although the filing of the certificate of candidacy is well nigh in November, hitherto none is yet an official candidate now. That being so legally speaking, none as yet is indictable for violation of the election law proscribing premature campaigning. At least, that's the likely defense of the 2010 election aspirants.

Before two self-proclaimed religious leaders have thrown their hats again as prexy wannabes - JIL Brother Eddie Villanueva and El Shaddai demigod Brother Mike Velarde - presidential hopefuls already hovered over a baker's dozen. Come the deadline for filing, the number could climb to about twenty of borderline losing candidates and the totally nuisance ones, as reckoned on winnability.

Except for one or two early Palace aspirants, like Senator Francis Pangilinan and DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno who seemed now eyeing on "sliding" to the VP slot, the greater obsession of the rest is Malacañan. Yeah, in the wake of the Cory Aquino demise that aroused national sympathy whose inertia of mourning spilled over to Ninoy's death anniversary, Senator Noynoy was first wooed by the Liberal Party to pair with Mar Roxas; or, the reversible tandem like a jacket? But now, with Mar Roxas playing martyr, it's Noynoy, or bust!

As of the moment, not many have yet with mouth agape, salivated for the Senate, save for the "visible" department heads, such as, DOH boss Francisco Duque III, DepEd's Jesli Lapus, DPWH's Hermogenes Ebdane possibly and Edu Manzano, or DOE's controversial Angelo Reyes who now calls almost everybody a liar on gas pump overprice. Wowowee's little big nouveau riche Willie who(?) has also been mentioned, and probably, Manny Pacquiao, or his mother Dionesia - who knows no decent inhibitions - might also wreak havoc on the already cheapened circus of jokers and shameless pretenders for the public office.

Well, coming back to Senator Santiago's allergic reaction to the ostentatious "infomercials"… Based on sheer numbers of radio and TV exposures on primetime, and all the media time, the very expensive agitprops have been those of Senator Manuel Villar and Mar Roxas then. Others not far behind are Mayor Jojo Binay in the guise of promoting Makati City's wealth, then comes Erap trying to hoodwink the electorate of waddling along to "unite the opposition". Not far behind are Senator Loren Legarda, Bayani Fernando, Gilbert Teodoro, and lately Eddie Villanueva and Mike Velarde banking on their spiritual sphere of influence. Haven't these two indirectly used the name of the Lord in vain?

No need of guessing who tops, or which are the Palace hungry top five lapdogs in breaking the records in the "infomercial" war, that would reach the billion pesos. And no call as well who rules the tottering roost in periodic surveys on popularity, or the top dog in day-to-day pulse among the survey respondents. Perhaps, even sans the survey and, with the growing sphere of suasion by the tri-media - particularly the boob tube that is an ubiquitous "necessity" even in poor household - the public pulse beats with the would-be candidates who "can afford" the huge infomercial" budgets.

As for Senator Santiago's threat to hie the presidential "prospects" who will not pull out their "infomercials" on threatened charges with the Ombudsman, would amount to nothing much. Except for momentary attention to such useless move, none among the concerned Palace aspirants would be cowed by Maid Miriam.