This Week in Media (February 7 to 11, 2022)
First ever campaign in the time of COVID-19
THE NINETY-DAY countdown to election day officially kicked off on February 8, the first day of the campaign period. Even with the lingering threat of COVID-19 in many parts of the country, candidates running for national positions launched their respective proclamation rallies across the country.
News coverage held fast to the campaign trail, dedicating front pages and the leading segments of newscasts to these events, taking up the first half of these programs.
Prior to the campaign period, media reports said that protocols set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) made mandatory the wearing of face shields at these events and prohibited the following: handshakes, taking selfies, house-to-house visits and distribution of food and drinks.
Citing police sources to describe the “generally peaceful” proceedings, media noted the challenge posed by safety protocols. Journalists reported that in general, participants wore masks both in indoor and open-air rallies, but physical distancing was not as strictly observed and no one was seen wearing a face shield.
Talking on separate occasions to the media, health officials said that the first day of the campaign raised concerns over the potential of these events as super spreaders.
Candidates
Media’s formula for reporting the campaign launch included the same information but not necessarily in the same order: the choice of campaign location, with Ping Lacson, Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao and Leni Robredo going to their respective hometowns and bailiwicks for the event; crowd estimates; identifying senatorial candidates who were present, and soundbites about their platforms, if any.
Journalists covering Leody De Guzman reported that his proclamation rally did not secure a permit from the Comelec, which was an election offense. In the following days, media also reported that some permits applied for by Robredo and Moreno were rejected by the Comelec.
Election-related news accounts referred to reminders issued by the Comelec about rules and regulations for campaign conduct and materials. These include limits on ad airtime on TV and radio, designation of areas where posters can be displayed, and suspension of campaigning on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Taking immediate action, the Comelec said it took down campaign paraphernalia that did not follow the standard sizes or were displayed in prohibited areas.Â
Media noted the cross-endorsement of senatorial candidates by parties, which caused some to be absent from some of the events in which their names were mentioned. For instance, Herbert Bautista, Sherwin Gatchalian and Juan Miguel Zubiri were guest candidates in the senatorial slate of Lacson. The three, who are also in Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s senatorial ticket, attended Marcos’ proclamation rally. They were a no-show on the second day of Lacson’s campaign. Lacson later told the media that he dropped Bautista and Gatchalian from his slate since they had explicitly endorsed Marcos, Jr.
A report by Inquirer.net listed the candidates who were on several slates. Robredo’s slate of twelve is made up of seven official and five adopted candidates.
The pandemic has taken a toll on the capacity of parties or presidential candidates to build up a complete ticket of twelve candidates. Unfortunately, coverage did not discuss the implications of presidential candidates’ having to share some members of their senatorial team with their rivals. No analysis went into the limited range of choices presented to the electorate.
Marcos disqualification junked
News broke in the evening of February 10 that the Comelec’s First Division had junked the three consolidated petitions to disqualify Marcos, Jr. due to “lack of merit.” Commissioners Aimee Ferolino and Marlon Casquejo voted in his favor; Rowena Guanzon’s vote to disqualify him was not counted, as she had retired prior to the release of the decision. Ferolino said the non-filing of income tax returns did not constitute a crime of moral turpitude, and that “the failure to file tax returns is not inherently wrong in the absence of a law punishing it.” Reports noted that the decision can still be appealed before the Comelec en banc and can go all the way to the Supreme Court.
Netizens quickly criticized the decision on social media.
COVID updates
Media reported how the numbers this week have improved prospects for improved public health on the pandemic front, as positivity rates and new daily case tallies continue to decline. News accounts cited the figures provided by OCTA Research that show a “low-risk classification” for Metro Manila and the province of Quezon and “moderate risk” for the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal. The IATF announced that it would review alert levels and update these on February 14.
CMFR cheered Rappler’s two-part series that explained why vaccination rates lag in the provinces, noting the logistical as well as policy issues which affect the distribution of vaccine supplies. The public should know how poorly national government has kept track of the bottlenecks in the provinces, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Postponed due to delays in the delivery of doses, pediatric vaccination pushed through on February 7. Journalists took note of measures taken by vaccination sites to make the experience comfortable and less worrisome for children. So far, no adverse effect post-inoculation has been reported. Retired general Carlito Galvez, Jr., IATF chief and vaccine “czar,” said the vaccination continued as planned because no court order had been issued to halt it, referring to the case filed against juvenile vaccination in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
Privacy, security issues
Meanwhile, Congress on February 4 ratified the bicameral report on the SIM card registration bill, proposed by Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian and Sen. Vicente Sotto III to combat phone-aided terrorism and criminal activities, including trolling. The bill when passed into law will require anyone buying a SIM card to provide personal information to telecommunications companies. Another provision will oblige social media users to open accounts using their legal names and registered phone numbers. The progress of the bill was reported on print and TV but without much discussion of the privacy and security issues the law could involve.
A few online reports did better in presenting the necessary context. Citing experts on cybersecurity, privacy and ICT, Philstar.com and news.ABS-CBN.com raised concerns about the danger of misuse of such personal information databases, flagging the vagueness of some provisions of the bill. A separate Philstar.com report pointed to dangers of online harassment for the LGBTQ+ community. The article added that some individuals use aliases to avoid backlash from trolls. The Inquirer’s editorial on February 9 raised the same concerns. It cited the concern of Sen. Leila de Lima that the central database could be abused by the government to intrude on privacy. It added, “SIM card registration is sufficient for the country’s requirements. But requiring verified identities for social media accounts is an overreach that threatens democratic expression and legitimate dissent.”
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