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Paid TV commercial for passage of P10K Ayuda Bill a first in PH legislative history?
Paid TV commercial for passage of P10K Ayuda Bill a first in PH legislative history?
Probably a first in the country’s legislative history, a lobby for the passage of a legislative proposal has utilized the powerful but very expensive television medium.
In a bid to convince Congress to pass the P10K Ayuda bill, former speaker and incumbent Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies may have resorted to paid television advertisement to pressure the House of Representatives leadership to act on the measure.
A TV commercial with a jeepney driver narrating the economic hardship faced by his family was shown on the Eat Bulaga and GMA news programs Tuesday, March 23.
A day before, Cayetano issued a press statement citing the story of jeepney driver Roderick Oborza, whose livelihood was badly affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sa ngayon po, bumalik nga kami sa pagbiyahe, pero hirap pa rin po kasi po kalahati lang po ang pasahero (ang) naisasakay namin. Ang kinikita namin ngayon, pang-kain lang. Sa jeep lang po kami nakatira. (We may have returned to the roads now, but we’re still experiencing hardship because we can only accept half of our usual passengers. Whatever we earn now, it’s only enough for buying food. We’re living inside my jeepney.)” Oborza said in a short video linked to Cayetano’s post.
The featured narrator of the TV commercial called for the passage of the P10K Ayuda bill, logged in the Lower House as House Bill 8597.
He took a jab at lawmakers when he ended the spiel by pointing out that P10,000 may just be enough to cover solons’ expenses for coffee.
The Cayetano camp has neither confirmed nor denied it is behind the paid TV advertisement.
The former speaker and his allies has been pushing for Lower House action on HB 8597.
The bill has been assigned to the Committee on Social Services chaired by Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas.
Vargas has yet to hold a hearing on the legislative proposal since it was referred to his committee on February 7.
HB 8597 proposes the distribution of P10,000 cash aid to every Filipino household to help mitigate the economic impact of the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
It was filed on February 2, two days before Cayetano’s political foe, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco filed HB 8628 or the Bayanihan to Arise as One Act, also known as Bayanihan 3.
Cayetano has criticized HB 8628 which calls for the allocation of P420-billion economic recovery stimulus fund, pointing out that his legislative proposal will have a strong impact on the living conditions of Filipinos despite proposing for a much-less financial support from government.