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Some Senate bets banking on stars with sky-high costs to win 2013 polls


During Philippine elections, candidates usually promise voters the sun and the moon to win whatever elective posts they're seeking. Some of them, primarily those with deep pockets, choose to use celebrities to run a winning campaign.
 
In this year's polls, at least six of the 33 candidates seeking Senate seats have celebrities endorsing them. Interestingly, five of these senatorial aspirants are from the administration slate.
 
Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, an administration bet, has the most number of showbiz personalities openly endorsing his candidacy: movie/television personalities Coco Martin and Julia Montes, as well as pop singer Sarah Geronimo, for his campaign.
 
President Benigno Aquino III's cousin, Paolo 'Bam' Benigno, is being endorsed by Kapuso actor Dingdong Dantes and musician Jim Paredes. Celebrity couple Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi, meanwhile, are backing the campaign of former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe.
 
Former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., for his part, is being endorsed by actor Richard “Ser Chief” Yap. Re-electionist Senator Francis Escudero, whose relationship with actress Heart Evangelista recently made headlines, is meanwhile being endorsed by veteran actor Eddie Garcia and comedian Vic Sotto. Meanwhile, the only senatorial candidate from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) who brought star power to his campaign is San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito. Sexy actress Sam Pinto has appeared in Ejercito's television advertisements, and even performed in several sorties.  
Not new to endorsements
 
Some of these celebrities are not new to political endorsements. In 2010, Geromino endorsed Senator Loren Legarda, who lost her vice presidential bid to Jejomar Binay.
 
Sotto, meanwhile, appeared in campaign advertisements of his brother, incumbent Senator Vicente Sotto III.  
Celebrities say political endorsements are for free
Most celebrities endorsing candidates for the 2013 polls have denied receiving any compensation for their endorsements. Bam Aquino had earlier said that all the celebrities who have been helping them out do it for free. A PEP.ph report also quoted his endorser Dingdong Dantes as saying that he is giving his endorsement for free, just like how he did it in 2010 for President Aquino. Meanwhile, in a statement posted on the Liberal Party website, Richard "Ser Chief" Yap also said his endorsement of Magsaysay is "voluntary and free." “It’s a voluntary thing. I don’t endorse anyone unless I believe in him. I don’t give out my services just to endorse people. It’s not the money," Yap said. “It has nothing to do with money. As mature and wise voters, we need to look much further than that. If we want this country to grow, if we love this country, we need to elect leaders who have the political will to do what needs to be done. It’s our responsibility to put the people who can help our country," he added. Escudero's office likewise told GMA News Online that Eddie Garcia and Vic Sotto both endorsed the re-electionist senator for free. "Free talaga 'yun. Lahat ng endorsements niya walang naningil ng talent fee," Escudero's media relations officer Judee Aguilar said in a text message, adding that Garcia is actually the cousin of the senator's late father, Rep. Salvador Escudero III, and is thus, his uncle. Aside from them, PEP.ph had also earlier quoted Coco Martin as saying that he is campaigning for Rep. Sonny Angara voluntarily. “Eto 'yung pagkakataon ko para mamili ng tama at impluwensiyahan 'yung mga tao na sana this time magkaroon na ng pagbabago," he said in the report. But another senatorial aspirant, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, had also been quoted by PEP.ph in a separate report as saying that he could not afford to get Coco Martin as endorser because of his whopping P35-million talent fee. In an interview on GMA 7's senatorial special "Kandidato," Angara also admitted that his camp probably paid for Geronimo's services. "Malamang ay may bayad ho iyon, palagay ko hindi libre," he said, adding his father Sen. Edgardo Angara and VIVA big boss Vic del Rosario, were the ones who ironed out the deal. Geronimo is under VIVA's management. The younger Angara, however, immediately noted that the funds used for the endorsement were probably given by contributors. — Kimberly Jane Tan and Andreo Calonzo/RSJ/KG, GMA News
 
In the latest Pulse Asia pre-election survey, five of the candidates who were described as having "statistical chance of winning" incidentally had celebrity endorsers. Magsaysay, although not included in the Pulse Asia list, has steadily been climbing the rankings.
 
Based on the latest SWS-BusinessWorld survey, meanwhile, all six are possibly poised for Senate seats.
 
'Added value' for candidates
 
Erwin Santiago, Philippine Entertainment Portal (Pep.ph) associate editor, said celebrities really bring an "added value" to candidates during elections.
 
"'Yung power ng celebrities sa tao, talagang malakas. Kung ididikit mo ang isang popular na artista sa isang politikong hindi naman masyadong kilala, makakatulong talaga 'yung artista," Santiago said in a phone interview.
 
He added that celebrity endorsers also come with a solid fanbase, which may translate to votes for a candidate during polls.
 
"Kung fan ka ni Coco Martin, most likely iboboto mo ang kandidatong sinusuportahan ni Coco Martin. May hatak talaga ang mga artista, lalo na sa masa," he said.
 
Santiago, however, noted that the star power of showbiz personalities does not necessarily guarantee victory for a person seeking an electoral post.
 
"Depende rin ito sa politiko, sa track record niya, at sa image niya sa publiko. Minsan, kailangan pa nga ng luck para manalo. Hindi naman dahil may artista na sumusuporta sa 'yo, mananalo ka na," he said.
 
Star appearances in 2010
 
Santiago particularly cited as example Senator Villar's presidential bid in 2010 to demonstrate that star power in a campaign does not necessarily translate into victory.
 
During the last national polls, Villar was endorsed by big names in the showbiz industry, including Revillame, Geronimo, the late "King of Comedy" Dolphy, world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and comedian Michael V.
 
Villar lost the elections to President Aquino. Aquino, however, also had a constellation of stars who backed his campaign, led by his sister, television host/actress Kris Aquino.
 
The President was also endorsed by "Star for All Seasons" and incumbent Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, "Mega Star" Sharon Cuneta, television host Boy Abunda, comedienne Ai-Ai delas Alas, singers Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez, and Kapuso actress Marian Rivera, to name a few.
 
Meanwhile, of the 12 senators who won during the 2010 elections, only Senator Sotto got celebrity endorsers such as Kris Aquino, Vic Sotto and Boy Abunda. The senator himself is a comedian and a host of the popular noontime show "Eat Bulaga."
 
Three winning senators in 2010—Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Manuel "Lito" Lapid—also had stints in the silver screen. Senator Ralph Recto, meanwhile, is the husband of veteran actress Vilma Santos.
 
Sky-high costs for stars
 
Getting stars to join a candidate's political campaign, however, entails sky-high costs, political management expert Malou Tiquia said.
 
Tiquia said a celebrity endorser may cost a candidate up to P35 million, aside from fees charged by these showbiz personalities per appearance in sorties.
 
"Babayaran mo sila ng millions as an initial endorsement fee, tapos per appearance, magbabayad ka pa ng siguro ng mga P250,000. Hindi pa kasali riyan 'yung gagastusin mo para sa pagkain, hotel at transportation nila," she said in a separate phone interview.
 
Tiquia added that the high cost of getting celebrity endorsers may have already discouraged some candidates for the 2013 polls from banking on star power for their campaigns.
 
"Mukhang hindi na ganoon karami ang celebrity endorsers ngayon. Wala ka na masyadong makikita, save for some TV ads. Tingin ko dahil magastos talaga. Risk din kasi ang pagkuha ng artista to endorse you. Hindi naman assurance ito na panalo ka na," she said.
 
Under Section 14 of the Omnibus Election Code, candidates are required to declare all campaign expenditures and contributions 30 days after the elections. Most senatorial bets and their celebrity supporters, however, have claimed that these endorsements are done  pro bono [for free]. 
 
Platforms, not popularity
 
Santiago, for his part, said that in reality, most celebrity endorsers receive hefty payments for backing the campaign of a candidate.
 
"Karaniwang ginagawa itong raket ng ilang managers para sa mga artista nila. Business din talaga. Siguro may ilan na naniniwala talaga sa cause noong kandidato, pero karamihan talaga diyan, binabayaran," he said.
 
He added that the use of celebrity endorsers for political campaigns only reinforces the heavy focus on popularity and not on platforms during Philippine elections.
 
"Personally, ako gusto ko maiba na iyan. Hindi nagiging aware sa issues ang mga tao. Kung sino lang ang artista, kung sino lang ang nakikita, kung sino lang ang kakilala nila, iyon na ang iboboto nila," he said.
 
Santiago likewise said that he thinks both the candidates and the electorates should exert the effort to elevate the political campaigns in the country beyond the glitz and glamour of celebrities.
 
"Siyempre ang mga Pilipino, lalo na ang masa, abala na iyan sa pang-araw-araw na buhay nila. Hindi na sila mag-aabala na alamin pa ang mga isyu, pero kailangan talaga. Iyong mga kandidato, hindi rin naman dapat puro sa artista lang nakaasa. Dapat may plataporma silang dinadala," he said. — RSJ/KG, GMA News
Tags: eleksyon2013
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