Politicians told: Keep off kids’ bags

Spare the schoolchildren, please.

Politicians running for election next year should not plaster their names and faces on school bags and supplies that they will be distributing to students at the beginning of the new school year on Monday, a Catholic Church official said Saturday.

Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Youth (CBCP-ECY), issued the statement after noting the practice of some politicians of distributing school supplies with their names printed on it.

“Let us not take advantage by employing such means. It should be a fair game,” Garganta said in an interview.

He said politicians should avoid these tactics because the public would eventually know whether their intentions were pure or self-serving.

“Why resort to such means? If people see that they are worthy and that their intentions are pure, the people will vote for them,” Garganta said.

He also urged voters not to be swayed by politicians bearing gifts and school supplies on the first day of school.

“People should be wise in choosing their candidates,” he added.

Public schools will have their first day of classes Monday while private schools will open on June 13.