Senator Santiago’s bill to cover more ‘epal’ politicos

With her “anti-epal” bill catching fire, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is expanding its coverage to include politicians who put their names and faces on streamers greeting their constituents on just about every occasion.

Her Senate Bill No. 1967, Santiago said on Thursday, would also punish government officials who string up tarpaulins and posters to greet the public a Merry Christmas, a happy graduation, a blessed Easter, a happy whatever, all with their mugs on them.

Santiago said the measure would also include officials who affix their names and faces to ambulances and other government vehicles purchased with taxpayer money.

“It’s nauseating for me personally,” she told the Inquirer. “They all look like villains from old Mexico.”

Santiago said she first filed the anti-self promotion measure two Congresses ago, but it never got beyond the committee level. She acknowledged that it was probably unpopular and would draw the ire of fellow politicians, especially those at the local level.

“But I don’t care. I’m also mad at them,” she said.

The bill—formally titled An Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project—imposes a jail term of between six months and one year.

It became an instant hit on the Internet and was widely discussed in social media last week. It earned the monicker “epal” after the colloquial Filipino terms for people who love being in the limelight (mapapel) and those who are insensitive and thick-skinned (makapal).

“I know there are some people who are very dogged about it, thinking it is their moral right to plaster their names and faces on government projects. It is free propaganda for the next elections. It cultivates a cult of personality and is a disservice to the taxpayers,” she said.

With growing support for her bill, the senator expressed optimism it would finally become law during the present Congress. It is currently in the committee on civil service and government reorganization chaired by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Santiago said she would speak with Trillanes when the Senate session resumes on Monday.

“I don’t foresee any problems because he is enthusiastic about reforms,” she said of Trillanes.