Endorsements aside

Although Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district once said his Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) does not need celebrities to endorse them, he is not complaining now that the Liberal Party has brought its own selection of stars into the campaign.

That just pulled the teeth out of Osmeña’s criticism of the Team Rama (TR) party for bringing to their sorties show business personalities led by actress and talent manager Annabelle Rama who is vying to represent Cebu City’s north district.

The campaign for this year’s midterm elections has entered the home stretch, when persons and institutions of differing stature and credibility throw their weight behind their favored candidates.

In Cebu, LP’s celebrity endorsers include presidential sister Kris Aquino who vouched for the tandem of Hilario Davide III and Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale.

Osmeña can always say that the celebrities, like Rodel Nacianceno, better known as Coco Martin who joined or will join the BO-PK’s last rallies are there for national candidates but he cannot deny that the BO-PK will benefit from the crowd drawing gravity of the stars.

What we are seeing is evidence of the failure of both the BO-PK and TR to reject pure showiness, one of the most undesirable aspects of Philippine political tradition.

While we respect the right of celebrities to free speech and to additional earnings in any professional fee for their endorsement, we do not condone the attempts of politicos to out-dazzle one another using stars in front of the electorate.

Such spectacles come at the cost of time that would be better spent discussing programs and pressing issues.

Candidates for election should remember that there is a universe of difference between gatherings on the campaign trail and a world tour of rock stars or a chapel fiesta.

Celebrities, on the other hand must realize that by their endorsements they are not lending their voices and faces to a mere consumer product but influencing people’s sacred power to chart their path as a community or nation within the next three to six years.

They have a moral obligation at the very least to examine the record and plans of the candidates whom they endorse even though they have by virtue of their elevated socio-economic status some immunity from the consequences of whatever decision candidates make once elected.

The more discerning in the electorate, meanwhile, need to share their gift of discernment to voters who are more inclined to vote for a candidate based on the popularity of his or her endorsers, celebrity or otherwise. To do the latter is to seriously undermine one’s right to vote freely.