Edu urges fellow celebs to help in non-partisan info drive

CEBU, Philippines - Regardless of politics, show business celebrities are absolutely ready to help enlighten voters on the fundamentals of the automated elections, administration vice presidential candidate and former Actors’ Guild president Edu Manzano said.

"Voter education is a non-partisan issue. Politics aside, all celebrities are prepared to do their share in heightening public awareness of automated voting, and encouraging everyone to go out and exercise their right to vote," said Manzano, former national president of the Vice-Mayors’ League.

Manzano, one-time vice-mayor of Makati City, cited the need for celebrities to help not just in educating the public on the basics of automation, but also in promoting clean, honest and orderly balloting.

"We want voters to embrace automation with ease when they troop to the polls on May 10," Manzano said.

"We do not want voters to be caught unawares by the new method of voting, as this may cause potential delays in the balloting, unduly inconvenience other voters through long lines at the precinct, and possibly even disenfranchise some voters," he said.

Manzano was responding to the call of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for show business and media personalities to help coach voters on automation through mass communication channels.

Even celebrities identified with candidates are also welcome to help in the public information drive, according to Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

Manzano agreed, "Celebrities who have openly endorsed politicians can still act as messengers in raising awareness of the basics of automation.

"We see no problem here. Celebrities will simply be familiarizing voters with the new process, and not in any way advancing their preferred candidates," Manzano added.

Apart from the celebs who have also become candidates like Manzano, most if not all of the celebrities involved in the elections are endorsers of a particular candidate. Those who have so far assisted in election education drive but who are endorsing no one in particular are Eat Bulaga's Sexbomb Dancers that have made a hit out of the song and dance number about the 2010 automated elections.