Padilla slams Comelec campaign rules, Pinol rips gov’t agri importation

Two Senate hopefuls running under the ticket of presidential aspirant Panfilo Lacson and vice presidential candidate Vicente Sotto III aired their views on separate matters on Thursday: the Commission on Elections’ restrictions during in-person campaigning, and the government importation of agricultural products.

'Worse than the IATF'

At a press conference at the Lacson-Sotto headquarters in San Juan, senatorial candidate Dr. Minguita Padilla said the rules imposed by the Comelec are worse than the guidelines released by the government’s inter-agency task force that handles the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Perhaps, you can ask Comelec what is the basis of all these rules because it’s worse than the IATF,” Padilla said.

“Bawal mag-selfie kahit lahat bakunado naman, ang daming bawal, even to hand out pamphlets,” she added.

(The candidates are not allowed to take selfies even if we are all fully vaccinated. A lot of things are prohibited, even handing out pamphlets.)

Citing medical studies, Padilla said that it is "very unlikely" to contract COVID-19 from objects.

“There’s so many rules that they gave which we don’t know what’s their basis. Will they be more flexible as our alert level goes down? Will they reconsider their rules because it is very difficult to control the people,” she said in mixed Filipino.

Prior to Padilla’s statement, Sotto asked the poll body how they will sanction those who violate their restrictions.

“Ano ang gagawin nila sa mga nagba-violate? Idi-disqualify ba nila? Eh ‘yung disqualifiction nila di pa nila naasikaso e. Aasikasuhin nila ‘yung nagpapa-selfie?” he asked.

(What are they going to do to those who violated their rules? Are they going to disqualify them? They can't even resolve the disqualification cases which are pending before their commission. Are they going to prioritize those candidates who took a selfie?)

Under Section 14 of Comelec Resolution 10372, the following activities are strictly prohibited during in-person campaigns in all Alert Level category levels:

• handshakes, hugs, kisses, going arm-in-arm in any action that involves physical contact among the candidate, their companions , and the public;
• taking selfies, photographs and other similar activities that require close proximity between the candidate and their companions, and the public;
• distribution of food and drink, and all other goods or items.
• entering any private dwelling during house-to-house campaigning, even with the express permission of the homeowner; and
• crowding, or allowing crowds that violate minimum public health standards (MPHS) around the candidate and his or her companions.

Sotto also mentioned a “Pontius Pilate” who allegedly bars observers from overseeing the printing of the ballots.

Further, Padilla expressed dismay at Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta, saying that she makes statements that “discourage” people from getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

“As to those who are still spreading fake news, we really have to do something about it and I wish that the Executive Department would really discipline the members of their own departments who are spreading fake news. They should no longer tolerate this because it is really bad for the nation,” she said.

When pressed to name the person she was referring to, Padilla said “Actually, we, the doctors, are quite upset with the head of the PAO, Persida Acosta because they are actually, they keep saying things which discourage people [to get] vaccines.”

GMA News Online has sought Acosta's comment on Padilla's statement.

'This cost me my job'

In the same press briefing, senatorial candidate Manny Piñol became emotional as he recalled how his stand against importation cost him his job at the Department of Agriculture.

Piñol, who vowed to push for the revocation of the Rice Tariffication Law, said the government should not flood the local markets with imported products as the country has local producers to protect.

“Ito yung pinaglalaban ko na hindi nila nakikita [This is what I fought for which they did not understand]. When we import, we deprive the local Filipino farmers the opportunity of making money. Not only that, we are also depriving our people the opportunity of working in the supply chain and the production chain,” he said.

“Very emotional ako sa isyu na ‘yan [I'm very emotional on this issue] because this cost me my job. This cost me the Department of Agriculture position actually, na sana pakinggan naman. 'Wag naman puro inflation numbers… ‘Di natin pwede palitan ng numero yung buhay at kalagayan ng ating mga pamilyang Pilipino [Let us not be concerned about inflation alone. We cannot exchange numbers for the lives and welfare of the Filipino families],” he said.

Piñol went on and said that an ordinary farmer doesn’t understand what inflation is “but the moment he was not able to send his children to school, to him that is a big problem.”

He said this problem may have even pushed some farmers to join the New People’s Army. — BM, GMA News