OFF THE VINE: Political fare a less than riveting show

<p>Just when Filipinos thought it was safe to turn on the TV or radio </p><p>again, the politicians go and legalise advertising for candidates in </p><p>May's election. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>That means the airwaves won't be safe for a while longer because as </p><p>anyone who has been to the Philippines knows, politicians there take the </p><p>business of electioneering very seriously indeed. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But having only recently run an actor-womaniser-president out of office </p><p>on corruption and other charges, can Filipinos trust their politicians </p><p>again? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>If media owners are a guide, we think the answer is a quick "no". </p><p>Apparently, media properties have a PBB directive - pay before broadcast </p><p>- for politicians. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Shows how much we trust our candidates," a media director smirked. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meanwhile, now that all has been said and done with People Power 2, </p><p>Campaigns & Grey dynamo Yolanda Villanueva-Ong is happily recounting the </p><p>company's role through its Campaigns Advocacy & Public Relations Inc's </p><p>(Capri) arm in the protests that drove Estrada out of office. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Capri donated its services freely, executing a series of daily spoofs on </p><p>two months of impeachment hearings against Estrada. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The politicians at the hearing provided plenty of fodder, simply by </p><p>being themselves. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And with Estrada's ad ban order on the Philippine Daily Inquirier, we </p><p>hear that Capri found a more than accommodating platform to ridicule </p><p>Estrada. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Need a new cabinet? Just call Dimensione, a chain of furniture stores in </p><p>the Philippines, which had this ad running soon after new Philippine </p><p>president Gloria Magapagal-Arroyo was sworn in last month. As the new </p><p>commander in chief deliberated on cabinet choices - always a prickly </p><p>affair in the Philippines - BBDO-Guerrero/Ortega happily picked up </p><p>plenty of mileage for its client. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>