They’re off and running

Candidates for national office — president, vice president and senators — will hit the ground running as the 90-day campaign period for the May 10 elections officially starts today.

President Arroyo and her running mate Sen. Noli de Castro will hear Mass in a church in mountainous Cavinti, Laguna at 8 a.m. today before hitting the campaign trail, barnstorming through the towns of Calamba and San Pedro, also in Laguna.

Running against the President are Fernando Poe Jr., Raul Roco, Panfilo Lacson, Eddie Villanueva and Eddie Gil.

"As the campaign starts tomorrow, I would like to call upon all the candidates to take the high road of prudence, decency and civility in the fight for the vote," Mrs. Arroyo said yesterday in a statement from Malacañang.

"Our people deserve an electoral campaign that gives a good view of the platforms of each contender, a balanced presentation of issues by the media, and a high regard for democratic principles.

"Our commitment to clean, orderly and honest polls is undiminished, and all concerned government agencies are at the beck and call of the (Commission on Elections) in the attainment of this objective," the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo also promises more jobs and political and economic reforms, and boasts of her close ties with the United States and other Southeast Asian countries.

Press Secretary Milton Alingod also said Malacañang has engaged the services of an American public relations firm to prop up Mrs. Arroyo’s image.

"Every candidate will come out with their own ads. I don’t think there is any need to ask permission from the Comelec.

"I don’t see if there is any prohibition. It goes without saying that you have to come out with an ad if you can afford it," Alingod said.

Starting today, the 15-second political advertisement will show Mrs. Arroyo on television with daughter Luli engaged in a mother-to-daughter talk about her plans to provide a better life for the ordinary Filipino.

The advertisement was shot last Saturday in front of the Malacañang Guest House.

It was directed by Cris Michelena, who was also behind Mrs. Arroyo’s television advertisement on the roll-on, roll-off ferry system, or the Philippine Nautical Highway.

The President, who is running under the banner of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan, or K-4, will be accompanied by her 12 senatorial candidates: Robert Barbers, Robert Jaworski, Orlando Mercado, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Pia Cayetano, Manuel Roxas II, Richard Gordon, Farouk Hussin, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, John Osmeña, Rodolfo Biazon and Lito Lapid.

Housing Secretary Michael Defensor, Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign spokesman, said K-4 strategists decided to start Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign in Laguna because the bulk of voters in that province have not yet decided who to vote for president on May 10.

"Laguna is one of the biggest provinces under Mega Manila," he said.

Twenty-six multisectoral organizations vowed yesterday to get 13.5 million votes for Mrs. Arroyo to win the May 10 presidential elections.

They launched yesterday the Pro-Gloria or Progressive and Responsive Organizations for Good Leadership, Outstanding Reforms and Intelligent Action.

During the launching at Bahay Alumni at the University of the Philippines campus in Quezon City, members of Pro-Gloria signed a covenant to actively campaign for Mrs. Arroyo.

Erle Argonza, Pro-Gloria spokesman, said they signed the unity statement to ensure that the people’s interest is given priority in a new Arroyo administration.

"There is now a growing groundswell of support for the President, and we haven’t started campaigning yet," he said.

Pro-Gloria plans to get an average of at least 55 votes for Mrs. Arroyo in each of the more than 240,000 precincts nationwide, he added.

Mrs. Arroyo’s cameo appearance in a Cebuano soap opera was shown last night in the television program "Bio-Data" on Channel 7.

Entitled "Ang Bastonera" (The Enforcer), the tele-novela was done by Mrs. Arroyo when she was still a senator in the 1990s.

A polyglot on Philippine languages, Mrs. Arroyo played the role of a disciplinarian mother who was raising a bright student.

"Bio-Data" also replayed a segment from the weekly public affairs program "Dighay Buhay" on state-run NBN-4, which Mrs. Arroyo had anchored when she was a senator.

Mrs. Arroyo was also seen in "Bio-Data" during an interview two years ago laughing off a rumored romance with then Justice Secretary Hernando Perez.

Gov’t Fund Use Hit

Meanwhile, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. accused Mrs. Arroyo yesterday of using funds from the government’s road maintenance program to fuel her election campaign.

"We are accusing the administration of foisting a political propaganda gimmickry on our people at the expense of this Republic," he said.

Pimentel, who is running for re-election under the opposition banner, said he learned that four "emergency" workers have been hired for each barangay nationwide for the "Kalye Natin, Alagaan Natin" project of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

"At an average daily wage of P150 a day, this would cost the government about P24.6 million a day," he said. "What is very disturbing is that the money being spent for the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo road maintenance program is coming from nebulous sources."

Pimentel said funds for the program could have been taken from programmed sources, which could be the reason why pro-administration congressmen refused to pass this year’s proposed national budget.

"It is important that our people are made aware that their money is being spent without due appropriations mandated by law," he said.

Pimentel said road maintenance workers clad in "PGMA" T-shirts or chalecos have appeared almost overnight on national highways and roads in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Eyewitnesses from remote barangays in the Visayas and Mindanao have confirmed to him this "phenomenon" via e-mail messages, he added. Pimentel said the Civil Service Law is clear that government employees should not engage or be used in campaigning for any candidate.

Only the campaign team or candidates should wear T-shirts or uniforms bearing the names of the candidate, he added.

On the other hand, Defensor said the Chief Executive will not replace De Castro as her running mate with presidential candidate Raul Roco.

"May ilang desperate camps na posibleng nagpapakalat nito because they can’t stop ang pagkapanalo ni Senator De Castro at President Arroyo," he said.

Defensor said rivals of the pro-administration party are expected to float again reports that Mrs. Arroyo would be dropping De Castro before the May 10 presidential elections.

"Uulitin nila yan to confuse the voters days before the elections," he said. "His performance and service are not the issues they are capitalizing. Ang kampanya nila is to disqualify him." — Marichu Villanueva, Pia Lee-Brago, Jose Rodel Clapano, AP, AFP