‘Duterte should stop campaigning for his bets’

If President Rodrigo Duterte does not want his Cabinet to campaign for any politician in the midterm elections, then he should lead by example and stop wasting government time and resources in promoting his candidates.

According to former Commission on Human Rights Chair Etta Rosales, the President is the “first violator” of the policy he wants to implement among members of the Cabinet and other government workers.

“What’s he doing? … He goes around, using government time and resources, campaigning for [former presidential aide Christopher] ‘Bong’ Go,” Rosales said on the sidelines of a voter’s education summit held in Manila on Saturday.

In a speech on Friday, the President said he had disallowed his Cabinet, as well as those working in the government, to campaign for or against any candidate.

Contradicts own actions

He said this was to avoid issues of impropriety, such as using government resources in favor of certain candidates.

The President’s pronouncement, however, contradicts his own actions over the last few months as he has taken every opportunity during his speeches to campaign for his favorite senatorial candidates, particularly his longtime aide Go.

The official campaign period starts on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections said on Saturday that it had asked political parties and candidates to take down materials that were in violation of the poll body’s campaign rules.