Press Release
May 9, 2009

MIRIAM SEEKS PROBE OF CABINET SENATORIABLES

        Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago is seeking a public investigation of funds used for alleged TV infomercials by certain cabinet members planning to run for the Senate.

        "If they are using public funds, they are guilty of malversation. If they are using private funds, they are guilty of premature campaigning," she said.

        Santiago mentioned the case of one cabinet member who appears in a health infomercial, another who appears in a disaster preparedness infomercial, and still another in a tax payment infomercial.

        "The Election Code bans and penalizes the election offense of premature campaigning. TV informercials are a pathetic way of seeking to go around the ban," she said.

        Last year, Santiago filed a petition with the Comelec to stop reelectionist senators from appearing as alleged commercial models of certain products advertised on billboards.

        Although the senator alleged that some of her colleagues are violating the ban, the Comelec dismissed her petition, prompting her to elevate it to the Supreme Court where it is pending.

        "We have to stop this culture of impunity among senators, cabinet members, and other public officials blatantly violating the law. Instead, the public should support a culture of accountability by asking for their disqualification," she said.

        Santiago said that if the present trend continues, all potential candidates for local and national offices will start campaigning by one ruse or another.

         "The law imposes a ban, but many are doing what the law prohibits, because of the lackadaisical attitude of the Comelec. With its refusal to comply with the law, the Comelec is in effect cultivating a culture of impunity among politicians who break the law," she said.

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