Lapu-Lapu wins battle vs. EQ ad

CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-Lapu City has won the battle.

Heeding the request of the Lapu-Lapu City government, the National Historical Commission (NHC) ordered the Ad Standards Council (ASC) to stop the airing of the EQ diaper advertisement on televisions.

The cease and desist order from the NHC was received by the ASC last Friday.

Mila Marquez, executive director of ASC, said that with the order from the NHC, their office has recalled the clearance to air the EQ commercial.

Marquez said the McCann World Group, the advertiser of the commercial, was already informed about the order.

She said a copy of the order was also sent to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP) and GMA Network.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said that she was glad that their request to pull out the commercial was granted.

“I thanked the Cebuanos and my fellow Oponganons for standing up with me in denouncing the ad as a distortion and mockery of our gallant history,” Radaza said in a statement yesterday.

She also thanked the Advertising Board of the Philippines, ASC and the NHC for promptly acting on their request.

“As we commemorate the Kadaugan sa Mactan, let us embrace the values that the lessons of our history taught us and let us stand proud as descendants of Lapu-Lapu,” Radaza said.

Earlier, Radaza wrote the NHC complaining about the commercial showing Datu Lapu-Lapu and Ferdinand Magellan fighting over a diaper, which she claimed “mocks” the Battle of Mactan.

Lapu-Lapu City Public Affairs Consultant Jonji Gonzales forwarded to reporters an initial report from Jones Campos, the executive director of Ad Board, who said that the complaint of city government before the NHC has been acted upon.

 Campos said they received a communication from Marquez informing them about the order.

 â€œThe ASC was in receipt of a Cease and Desist Order from the National Historical Commission last week April 19, 2013 which led to the ASC recalling the clearance to air the advertising.” Gonzales said.

The said TV commercial depicts a supposed preference of Datu Lapu-Lapu and Reyna Bulakna for the EQ diaper over the one offered as a gift by Ferdinand Magellan.

It even demonstrated as the cause of the “Battle of Mactan.”

Lapu-Lapu City will commemorate the epic battle on April 27 with a reenactment at the Liberty Mactan Shrine.

The Office of the President already declared April 27 this year as a nonworking holiday for the people of Lapu-Lapu City.

Earlier, Senators Tito Sotto, Gringo Honasan and Loren Legarda supported the city government’s move to make every April 27 as a national holiday.

Marquez said their office will also provide the Philippine Association of National Advertisers a copy of the NHC order so it could advise the advertiser of the city’s demand for a public apology. —With a report from Bong Soriano of Banat News/LPM  (FREEMAN)