Antipolo mayor explains ‘epal’ medals

Antipolo City Mayor Casimiro “Jun” Ynares III has apparently become the latest whipping boy of the so-called anti-“epal” campaign against attention-craving politicians who put their names or faces on streamers or billboards.

In Ynares’ case, however, the level of exposure tends to be minimalist—but still hard to miss.

A photo of “medals” bearing the mayor’s face and name had spread in the social media earlier this week, after it was first posted on the blog pulpolitika.wordpress.com.  The blogger wondered in Filipino: “Who’s really graduating? The students or the mayor? Please explain. Labyu.”

Reached for comment on Wednesday, Ynares confirmed that “around 200 medals” of that sort were produced during his term as Rizal provincial governor. “That’s why if you look at it, it says ‘Governor.’”

He said medals “left over” from his tenure as governor were given to students who participated in a recent “press conference” hosted by the Department of Education in Antipolo.

The city government then “did not have time to buy” other medals. “I’ve only been mayor for three and a half months… and the bidding process will take some time,” he said.

But when told that the medals in the viral photo had the word “Mayor”—not Governor—on them, Ynares sounded surprised and said he would have the matter checked.

Ynares later called the Inquirer to say that the medals were “donations” from a supporter.

The mayor explained that while he himself supports the anti-epal movement, the medals “did not fall under that category” since they were not procured by the city government.

“You shouldn’t put your face there, but the 200 medals were donated,” he said. “We didn’t procure anything.”

In fact, he said, there were still less than  “60 to 70 ‘Governor’ medals left” and that he had ordered them not to be released anymore.

Later in a text message, Ynares again made a correction, saying the “Mayor” medals numbered less than 100, not 200.