Sen. Santiago’s ‘anti-epal’ bill backed

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s “anti-epal” bill has drawn the support of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) and Malacañang.

Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of CBCP-Nassa, said Santiago’s proposed bill was a “good measure” because it had biblical basis.

Santiago’s “Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project” would prohibit politicians from plastering their names and faces on  billboards announcing road projects and the like.

The bill has been popularly called the “anti-epal” measure—epal being derogatory slang for a scene stealer or attention grabber, someone who is always trying to butt in and wrest the spotlight. (The word may be a contraction of “mapapel,” another street term for someone always trying to play a big role in anything. Some say the word may have also  evolved from “makapal,” meaning someone who is insensitive and thick-skinned.)

Gariguez said the bill was a “good measure because it reminded people of a Gospel passage in which Jesus said that when one gives alms, one must not let his left hand know what his right is doing. In layman’s terms, one must not blow a trumpet to publicize the good works he or she has done, said the priest.

“Those in the government should really give their total dedicated service to the people [and] the services they give should not serve their own personal interest,” Gariguez told reporters yesterday.

“So in light of the Gospel, the proposal of Senator Santiago is very appropriate,” he added.

If passed into law, the bill would curb the pervasive practice among public officials of plastering their names and faces almost everywhere.

In pushing for the bill, Santiago said that such a practice merely promotes “a culture of political patronage and corruption, aside from it being pointless and highly unethical.”

Malacañang supports Santiago’s anti-epal measure.

“We welcome (Santiago’s) initiative. If you remember, President  Aquino has made it known that he does not want his picture placed on these kinds of billboards,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“The President was very clear on that from early on…that he did not like the practice,” Valte said last weekend. With a report from Christine O. Avendaño