Philippines' soap-and-noodle politicians By Alastair McIndoe
Publisher:The Straits Times - Publication Date: 12-06-2008

The high drama of Philippine politics has often been compared to a television soap opera.
Now, several senators are appearing during TV commercial breaks, endorsing everything from washing powder to instant noodles and beauty products.

Going by recent local media reports, seven lawmakers in the 12-member Senate have been appearing in advertisements.

Some have already thrown their hats in the ring for the 2010 presidential race; others are widely expected to run.

Political pundits say that the commercials give the politicians valuable publicity among voters ahead of the election.

But newspaper editorials have been scathing.

As one pointed out, the Senate began to lose its gravitas after actors, TV personalities and sports stars launched new careers there.

Now the sight of a lawmaker endorsing consumer products simply lacks delikadeza, a Spanish word meaning a sense of propriety.

"This cheapens what they are - successors to great men," wrote one livid Filipino blogger, naming several of the country's most revered lawmakers of past times.

To be sure, it is hard to imagine the late senator Claro M. Recto, whose eloquent speeches and writing on nationalism in the 1950s are regarded as national treasures, appearing in advertisements peddling soap.

It has often been said that for the Filipino masses, elections are little more than popularity contests. But recent surveys on voter behaviour show that these voters have become more discriminating in how candidates are chosen.

Even so, Filipino politicians still need to cultivate the common touch, especially for a seat in the Senate, which is a nationally elected post.

Some politicians want the election commission to rule on whether the advertisements contravene regulations banning election campaigning before a prescribed period.

The senators insist this is not a political issue.

"I'm very particular about what I endorse," said Senator Richard Gordon, stressing that his television commercials for Procter & Gamble's Safeguard soap are aimed at promoting frequent handwashing as a disease-prevention measure.

He said he is donating his fee of 6 million pesos (US$135,000) to the Philippine Red Cross, an organisation he heads.

Tide laundry detergent, another Procter & Gamble product, is being endorsed by blue-blooded Senator Manuel Roxas, grandson of a former president. Ordinary Filipinos know him as 'Mr Market' for his price-watching campaigns in public food markets.

Senator Roxas, seen as a strong contender for the presidency, said in a statement that he saw no conflict of interest. "The company has a good record and I wouldn't allow myself to be associated with just anything," he said. He too has donated his fee to charity.

The face of the Senate's most photogenic member, Senator Loren Legarda, 48, is on billboards for a skin-whitening product. Senator Panfilo Lacson, a tough-as-teak former police chief, is endorsing a facial-care centre for men.

Instant noodles, fabric softener and a health supplement complete the list of products endorsed by the 'glamorous hucksters' of the Senate, as the Philippine Daily Inquirer's lead writer called them.

Senator Gordon acknowledged that doing commercials offered senators a way of gaining public exposure, but he doubted their usefulness as a purely political exercise.

"I think most Filipinos already know who the possible candidates are for the presidential election," he said.

Political analyst Ramon Casiple believes that the biggest draw for candidates doing commercials and advertisements will be their indirect impact on attracting campaign funds from donors looking for winning power.

And a key measure of that, explained Casiple, will be the name-recall of the candidates in the opinion surveys conducted by private pollsters in the run-up to the mid-2010 election.

Running an election campaign for the Senate is hugely expensive. According to the estimates of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, which Casiple heads, it costs between 150 million pesos and 500 million pesos to run a campaign.

The monthly pay of a senator is 45,000 pesos, though the job comes with substantial perks. Many, but by no means all, of the senators in the current Congress are independently wealthy.

Self-made property tycoon Manuel Villar is the richest. Forbes magazine last year estimated his fortune at $940 million.

Among the front runners of the 'presidentiables', as they are called here, Senator Villar is not one of the current crop of product endorsers.

But he has appeared in public-service announcements calling for the protection of Filipino overseas workers - and also benefited from the publicity.

However, last May's mid-term congressional elections showed starkly that being in the public eye and splurging on a costly campaign were no guarantee of victory.

Before winning a seat in the Senate with a massive protest vote aimed at the administration, 36-year-old Antonio Trillanes was a cashiered Navy lieutenant awaiting trial on rebellion charges.

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