Perpetuating Dynasties: Half-truths and Myths in Election Campaign Materials

Ge Ann Francia S. Rosales

BA Political Science

University of the Philippines Manila

Abstract For years, politicians from political clans have been taking turns in ruling official political positions in the country. Until now, these political clans continue to roam and rule in the different public offices in the government. To contribute to the explanation of political dynasties‘ persistence in Philippine politics, this paper examines the cultural aspect of half-truths and myths in election campaign materials. The study focused on the campaign materials of President Benigno ‗Noynoy‘ Aquino III, Senator Jose ‗Jinggoy‘ Estrada, Jr. and Senator Ferdinand ‗Bongbong‘ Marcos, Jr. during the May 2010 election. Aside from successfully winning in the election, these subjects share a common background of being sons of former presidents of the country. Through critical discourse analysis, the study found out that election campaign materials play up information beneficial for the campaign of the candidate while on the one hand, down play those that do not. The half-truths and myths in election campaign materials deceive voters on their perception of a candidate and hence result to choices in favor of candidates belonging to political dynasties.

Keywords: political clans, political dynasties, political advertisements, half-truths and myths, May 2010 election

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PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

Introduction There are political, economic, social and cultural factors that contribute to the persistence of political dynasties in Philippine politics. Among all these factors, the cultural aspect of dynasties‘ perpetuation remains to be understudied in research. With this, the study intends to focus on the cultural factor.

Prominent and emerging political dynasties dominate Philippine politics. At present, almost all positions in the government, whether in the local or national level, are dominated by members of political dynasties all at the same time. For instance, there are siblings Pia and Alan

Cayetano who are both senators in the present congress, and mother and son Imelda Marcos in the House of Representatives and Bongbong Marcos in the Senate. Dynastic politics have long been present in democratic and developing countries. For decades, same faces and known families have been dominating the politics and governance in the country. According to

Professor Roland Simbulan, a professor of Development Studies and Public Management in the

University of the Philippines Manila, the dominance of such dynasties in Philippine politics has grown more pervasive and worse in recent years. Members of these political clans are also the ones who belong to the country‘s economic elites. Existence of political and economic elites is an inevitable phenomenon already. Professor Bobby Tuazon of the Center for People

Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) says that these political dynasties had already developed a sense of entitlement and legitimacy for public positions in the country, whether at the national or local level. Having the capacity and capability to run the affairs and administration of the government, there had been raising concerns that inequality in the distribution of wealth and power may reflect imperfections in democratic representation.

Political dynasties prevent other competent and promising aspirants and candidates from 2

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES representing those in the marginalized sectors of the society. In the discourse written by

Christopher Bonoan who served as a congressional staff at the House of Representatives, It Runs in the Blood (2008), he generally described the country‘s political system as so parochial and expensive that only the economic elite and traditional politicians (with very few exceptions) have very clear and effective advantage of winning and becoming successful politicians. This then results to a system of politics that is considered as a hodgepodge of elitist ideologies. This continuing rule of political dynasties in the country has adverse and detrimental effects to the

Filipino public such as misrepresentation, if not lack of representation, in the decision making process and hindrance of pro-poor and pro-people legislation. Despite the fact that it caters widespread hopelessness in the mindset of Filipinos that political dynasties can never be eliminated in our political culture, many still believe that this phenomenon can be altered. The key to such lies in the hands and power of votes of the Filipino electorate. It strongly depends on how each citizen will choose who to vote for and why vote for them.

Elections play an integral role in the development of representative democracy in the

Philippines. In winning an election and maintaining power and position in the government, campaign strategies are highly important. Campaigning during election period is like selling products in the market. Politicians hire campaign experts to handle their packaging and repackaging in political advertisements. Political advertisements are designed to make a candidate well-known to the electorate. However, these advertisements are also mechanisms for politicians, especially those traditional ones and members of political dynasties, to filter information regarding them. They play up and flaunt information that they like and think would win the hearts of the public, and on the one hand, down play those that may cause their negative publicity. Filipinos are often deceived by these kinds of tactics and art of campaigning. People‘s 3

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES mindset is often manipulated by the advertisements projected to them. With low voters‘ education, the Filipino electorate tends to be blinded by the half-truths and myths about political advertisements.

Previous studies done related to or regarding the topic plays an important role in the analysis of the present paper. This will give a brief background of what has been known about political dynasties in Philippine politics. Conclusions derived from former studies will support the objectives of the research paper. These give depth to the theoretical and conceptual framework of the study. Furthermore, knowing the gaps in the researches done in the past gives an overview of what is to be focused in the study to be conducted. These are helpful in supporting the basic premises of the theories used in the paper. The present paper to be conducted deepens the understanding and analysis of the subject of political dynasties in the country.

Research Question:

How do the half-truths and myths of political advertisements of electoral candidates contribute to the persistence of political dynasties in Philippine politics?

Objectives:

General Objective: To explain how election campaign materials affect the voting behavior of the

Filipino electorate

Specific Objectives:

- To examine the half-truths and myths in election campaign materials of candidates in

the May 2010 election

- To analyze the campaign strategies used by candidates who belong to political

dynasties 4

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

- To find out how election campaign materials affect how the electorate‘s perception of

a candidate

Conceptual and Theoretical Framework

Half-truths and Myths in Low Voters‘ Education Persistence of

Election Campaign -Manipulated voting Political Materials Dynasties in behavior Philippine -Play up of Information -Deceived by the candidate‘s Politics about their political clan image packaging that will create positive

publicity -Choice of candidate based

on personality and popularity -Downplay of Information about their political clan that might create negative publicity Dramaturgy Gramsci‘s Hegemony- dominance Posters and Jingles used by of one social class to project its members of political dynasties as own way of seeing the world tools for voters to vote for them

In the overall conceptual and theoretical framework above, the study aims to answer how half-truths and myths in election campaign materials contribute to the persistence of political dynasties in the country. Two main theories are used to explain the political issue or phenomenon of political dynasties‘ persistence and continuity. It is important to trace how half- truths and myths are hidden in election campaign materials to convince voters to vote for candidates who belong to political dynasties. With low voters‘ education and manipulated voting behavior and preferences of the electorate, voters are vulnerable to the manipulation and dominance of election candidates. Election campaign materials such as campaign posters and jingles are used by candidates to play up the image of their family that will promote positive publicity for their campaign. Dramaturgy explains that the real characters of candidates shown in 5

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES the backstage are not seen by the audience or the people, for candidates play their role very well to hide information not favorable for their campaign. Gramsci‘s hegemony explains further that with low voters‘ education candidates who are part of political dynasties easily projects their own system so that it will be accepted by the people as ‗common sense and natural‘. Gramsci‘s hegemony explains that common sense is the way a subordinate class lives its subordination.

Therefore, this kind of voters‘ perception and voting behavior manipulation contributes to the persistence of political dynasties in the country.

Scope and Limitation

The study focuses on three main candidates during the May 2010 election. They are

President Benigno ‗Noynoy‘ Aquino III, Senator Jose‘ Jinggoy‘ Estrada, Jr. and Senator

Ferdinand ‗Bongbong‘ Marcos, Jr. Aside from successfully winning in the election, these subjects were chosen on the qualifier that their parents became former presidents of the country and considered to be a well-known personality.

For every candidate, one campaign jingle and two campaign posters were selected to be used and analyzed in this study. Visual and textual analysis of the election campaign materials were based on the indicators or elements in this research. Critical discourse analysis shall be used to analyze the data gathered in the visual and textual analysis of the campaign posters and jingles.

Research Methodology

To be able to obtain the objectives set in this research, the data gathering methods used in the study are visual and textual analysis. Visual analysis was used in examining the campaign posters of the chosen candidates of the study. There are three elements or indicators used in the visual analysis of posters namely, visual information structure, color, graphic images and master 6

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES narrative. On the other hand, textual analysis was used in examining the content and message of campaign jingles. This serves as the primary data gathering methodology used in the study.

Further examination of the data gathered in the visual and textual analysis was evaluated through the use of critical discourse analysis. Secondary data needed for this paper was gathered through the use of literature review and research of previous studies done and articles written about the topic.

Background of the Study

Political dynasties have long been reigning in different government offices of the country. Politicians who belong to these clans remain undefeated during election period. Political clans/families have been walking all over Malacañang, Philippine Senate, House of

Representatives, local and national public offices. Grandparents, parents and children are taking turns on different seats of power all over the archipelago. Family names of these people had been popular all over the place because of their reign in our government. Many of the candidates in every election are considered to belong or be connected to families that are politically active. For years, politicians from political clans have been taking turns in ruling official political positions in the country. Until now, these political clans continue to roam and rule in the different public offices in the government. Thus, this possesses multiple outcomes further supporting their power in the society and politics.

The following literature reviews of books, articles, journals and previous studies done attempt to demonstrate, support and give an overview about the hypothesis of the research paper.

There had been several papers written and published about political dynasties in the Philippines.

Different authors and writers had examined and explained the nature of the ruling elite in the 7

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES country. Common among them is the assertion that leadership and economic wealth and capability rest on the hands of the ruling families. Moreover, Filipino people are seen to be apathetic about the state of elitism in the society. The rule of the few had been recognized by the people as normal in our way of life. Existence of political dynasties had been embedded in the culture of Filipinos. The masses are seen to be highly dependent on the elites. This practice or tradition in the culture of Filipinos increases the vulnerability of the masses to the dominance of political dynasties in the country. Masses treated as powerless, are often left out in decision- making processes. Interests of the ruling few overpower those of the masses. Also, studies have shown that unequal access to opportunities hinders those aspiring promising politicians who do not belong to political dynasties to make their way in public offices.

In Modern Principalia, a book written by Dante C. Simbulan (2005), a conceptual overview of the ruling elite was discussed from the colonial period until the present day. He explored the dynamics of the elite class as it transforms from the ‗old‘ to the ‗new‘ principalia.

He used the term ‗elite‘ to refer to those people who are in high position in the society. In the

Marxist perspective, the elites are those who own and control means of production. Under these definitions, many people are considered as elites in the society. There may be elites of wealth considered as economic elites, elites of power or political elites, elites of prestige otherwise classified as social elites, and more. According to the author, elite status may be attained by any individual who becomes successful or the one who acquires the key values of the society that are necessary for the exercise of influence. Elitism is theoretically independent of the class concept.

This same approach was also used by Alfred W. McCoy (2009) in the book An Anarchy of

Families: State and Family in the Philippines. He referred to elite families as ‗oligarchs‘ who has persisted for over a century as a cluster of families, knitted together by ties of blood and 8

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES marriage, that combines political power and economic assets to direct the nation‘s destiny. This is similar with the point of view given in the book The Rulemakers (Coronel, et al., 2007).

Rulemakers are the wealthy families who dominate power in the congress or the legislative body of the country. From this aspect, the author specifically explores the influence, power and role of political clans in Philippine politics. Furthermore, in a study written by Christopher D. Bonoan

(2009), the ruling class are those considered as ‗trapos‘ or traditional politicians who find riposte and political dynasties as nothing legally or even morally wrong as long as they deliver basic services to the constituents who are their primary concern. Ruling elites are under the impression that public office is a safe and convenient haven for fame, fortune and perpetual political power.

With the views given by different writers about political dynasties, politicians often mask themselves with the euphemism of ‗people who are born to rule‘ with superiority among others.

This kind of notion manipulates the dangerous implication of ruling elites in power. Battling and competing against the ruling few in the country is a very hard thing to do knowing how great their power and influence is. These politicians are like big giants that are so hard to defeat.

A study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism traced the emergence of political dynasties in the Philippines to the introduction by the Americans of electoral politics in the early 20th century, when voting was initially limited to the rich and the landed, who then monopolized public office. The image of the political dynasty as one being ran by a warlord has become the exception than the rule, the study said. But the motives remain the same: protecting the interest of the clan. Added to this, Sheila Coronel gave seven (7) M‘s of dynasty building in new political dynasties. First among the list was money, followed by machinery, then media and or movies, next in line was marriage, fifth is murder or mayhem, sixth is myth, and lastly mergers (alliances). The article comprehensively presented how these things are used by political 9

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES dynasties in building their power and hold in the Philippine political arena. In a 2003 paper for the United Nations Development Programme, economists Solita and Toby Monsod (who are, coincidentally enough, mother and daughter), offer an explanation why political clans persist.

―(The) divisive, patrimonial nature of Philippine politics,‖ they say, ―may be such that that politics controlled by one family may be preferred if only to speed up consensus on a common vision, coordination of development projects and allocation of resources‖ (iReport, 2007).

In the book of Coronel about rule makers, factual findings collected, significant conclusions were inferred. One is that there is this distinct set of characteristics that they possess. Another is that, upon assumption of office, they tend to carry out acts that are particularly beneficial to them and their families. In the long run, poor ‗Juan dela Cruz‘ suffers the losses (Jalit, 2007). The book also showed how political clans have employed their powers to further enrich themselves and entrench their families in power. Government in this view is seen as ‗milking cows‘ of lawmakers and traditional politicians. Rarely do long-term national interests and developmental goals matter. Thus, politicians have tended to spend more on itself, even while the rest of government tightened its belt. This is supported in Modern Principalia. It is particularly rewarding for an official of the government to stay in power. There are lots of benefits one can reap from office. The author explained how the incumbents used the government to their benefit, how government has been used to further empower the already powerful elites. It was as if the government has into an enterprise of the elites. Simbulan also used the argument about the dependency of the masses to the ruling elites which seems to be present until today. Perhaps it has been inculcated in the culture of the Filipinos that if there is a chance to take advantage of the networks and connections, then grab it. Furthermore, elites are found to be superior to the masses that are, as they think they are, inferior. This could be an 10

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES effect of the previous set up of the landlord-serf relationship that persisted for decades and even up to now in some provinces (Go, 2010). The ruling class holds the means and opportunities to hinder the prosperity and consciousness of the people to strive for power and success. Julio C.

Teehankee (2007) in his article in PCIJ, And the Clans Play On, said that the continuing clan dominance is a product of the seemingly immutable and unequal socio-economic structure, as well as the failure to develop a truly democratic electoral and party system. The institutional, legal, electoral, and party systems have prevented the expansion of the base of aspirants and candidates for representation. The social and class structure in the Philippines shaped a landowning system, which in turn enabled a core of landed families to accumulate economic and political power through time.

Having political clans and dynasties in Philippine politics affects the representation of the people in the decision making process. Across the country, the same political clans are winning.

Reports and allegations of fraud and violence, often meant to prevent people from voting and to disrupt the counting of votes, also show that their methods of holding on to power remained the same (Conde, 2004). With the words of former Senator Aquilino Pimenteal Jr., ―Political dynasties are a terrible indictment of the kind of politics we have‖. Also, he added that he does not believe that any one family has the monopoly of talent to run the Government. Political dynasties are reflections of socio-economic inequalities in the country (Tadem, 2004). Not only that it dominates the game of politics, but also it hinders equally promising young people from getting into public service. If for every election same faces or family names will win, better opportunity for public representation and reforms will not pursue (Rosales, 2011).

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PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

Campaign strategies play an important role in the victory of an elected official especially those that belong to political dynasties. Competition for power, position and prestige had also been intense with the different political clans and dynasties reigning in the government.

Campaign alters the kind of persona members of political dynasties project to the people. It shapes the image of candidate in the way how he or she would like to reflect his or her personality in front of the electorate. How the voters perceive a candidate, how he appears to them is the candidate‘s image or the sum total of his distinctive characteristics as an individual which has a great deal to do with how well or poorly he will fare in a contest. Candidates need the help of specialists in this particular aspect. Such specialists in political operations are often referred to as ‗handlers‘ or technical experts whose principal role is to make candidates electable and winnable in the race for public office. These people are tasked to package and repackage election candidates. Part of these is to teach and train them to improve their personality and ability to communicate. In the words of Roger Ailes in You are the Message, ‗You are the message…when you communicate with someone, it‘s not just the words you choose to send to other person that makes up the massage. You‘re also sending signals about what kind of person you are – by your eyes, your facial expression, your body movement, your vocal pitch, tone, volume, and intensity, your commitment to your message, your sense of humor and many other factors‘.

The rampant highly contested nature of elections leads to the diffusion of party identity, where voters‘ choices are mobilized around personalities and not around the candidates‘ qualifications for office. In the study Philippine Democracy Assessment (Co, Tigno, Lao & Sayo,

2005), it was found out that Filipino electorate do not vote for their politician based on a clearly outlined programs and platforms, rather they vote based on image and personality. The dynamics 12

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES of the business of media and its effects on electoral outcomes is immediate. Voter choice is mobilized around images and personalities of a candidate and not around party ideologies and differentiated programs and policies for development. Voters have a limited appreciation of governance and the policies that affect them and do not factor them in their electoral choices.

With the rich resources available, there are still gaps in researches that the present study would like to evaluate. This will bridge the gap in understanding and evaluating the persistence of political dynasties in the Philippines. However, the information given by previous researches done will be used as a guide and source for the research paper.

Data Presentation

The study is focused on three particular candidates who successfully won in the May

2010 elections – President Benigno ‗Noynoy‘ Aquino III, Senator Jose ‗Jinggoy‘ Estrada, Jr. and

Senator Ferdinand ‗Bongbong‘ Marcos, Jr. In order to reveal the half-truths and myths in election campaign materials used by these election candidates, discourse analysis was used to present the data gathered.

Two campaign posters and one campaign jingle were selected for every candidate.

However, in the case of Bongbong Marcos, his campaign posters were analyzed as one since the content was just the same. Data is presented according to the cases of the candidates.

Campaign Posters

Visual analysis was applied in examining the print advertisements or posters of the candidates. The elements or indicators of visual analysis to be used in unfolding the structure and message of campaign posters are visual information structure, color, graphic images and master 13

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES narrative. Visual information structure shows how the text looks in the print advertisement. It includes appearance of such things as the titles and the headings. Color corresponds to the color of the text, background and graphics. Graphic images refer to the other information in the campaign poster aside from the text such as icons and photographs. Master narrative concerns the kind of interconnection between the elements. This includes the framing of the poster as a whole.

Campaign posters of President Noynoy Aquino

Poster No. 1 - Noynoy Aquino portrayed as the real deal.

Visual Information Structure: All the texts in this

print advertisement were written in capital letters.

The letters of the text ‗Noynoy Aquino‘ were

outlined and written in bold letters. Emphasis was shown in the larger font size for the name of Noynoy than the surname Aquino. The name of the candidate was written above all the other text in the campaign poster. It also appeared to be the largest and most seen text of the advertisement. The subject Noynoy in the sentence ‗Noynoy is the real deal‘ was placed separately above the predicate. On the lower part, ‗Dugong Bayani.

Pusong Bayani‘ (Blood of Heroes, Heart of Heroes) can be seen but was significantly smaller in size than the previous texts. These were the only words written in Filipino. The wordings of the text were accentuated for it is treated as two sentences - with the use of a period as a punctuation mark - which can primarily stand alone. It can be noted that the font style of the texts remained to be the same all throughout, but the font size decreased as the text was placed below the others.

Color: The name of the candidate was written in red and outlined in yellow. As the name itself was already outlined with the dark tone of yellow for emphasis, the background of the 14

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES name was lighter in color but still with a touch of yellow. The texts following it were not outlined and were given a darker background color of red and yellow. It can be noticed that the texts were written in red when the background color was yellow and vice versa. There were only two tones of color used in the poster –red and yellow – which were blended and used alternately to complement each other. Yellow was mostly used in the poster since it is the chosen color of the candidate in the election. Yellow was also the color used by Noynoy‘s mother, President

Corazon Aquino, in her campaign for presidency in 1986.

Graphic Images: A logo of the liberal party, the political party where Noynoy belongs, was placed on the lower left hand corner of the poster. On the opposite side of the advertisement, photograph of Noynoy Aquino smiling and doing the thumbs up or ‗deal‘ hand signal can be seen. Significantly, this hand signal became popular in the country because of the game show

‗Deal or No Deal‘ hosted by her sister and TV host -actress, Kris Aquino. This image of Noynoy wearing a yellow polo shirt was noticeable because of its size.

Master Narrative: The focus of the poster was centered on the name of Noynoy and his gesture in the photograph making the ‗deal‘ hand signal. Among all the other features in the poster, these were the elements that brought about a message beyond what is seen. It conveyed that Noynoy is the son of Ninoy and Cory. His parents can be remembered with the color used which is yellow for democracy and the slogan written on the lower part, ‗Dugong Bayani.

Pusong Bayani‘. Noynoy was depicted as a savior or hero like his parents who can uplift the lives of the people and lead them to democracy. The influence of Kris Aquino as the former host of the show ‗Deal or No deal‘ was used as the main concept that framed Noynoy in this particular poster implying that there is no lost in voting for Noynoy as he is portrayed as ‗the real deal‘. 15

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

Poster No. 2 – Noynoy Aquino as the next president and champion of democracy.

Visual Information Structure: In this poster, all the texts were in Filipino. The name of the candidate can be seen in the upper part of the poster written in capital letters. His first name ‗Noynoy‘, which he often uses, was how he is commonly called. Below it was a phrase saying ‗Presidente ko sa 2010!‘ (My President in 2010!). The text complemented the images of Cory and Ninoy above it. It was like a speech bubble where Noynoy‘s parents are saying that their son is their president in 2010. The letters of the text were also capitalized but it was smaller in font size compared to how the candidate‘s name was written. The use of the punctuation mark exclamation point stressed strong conviction of the claim that Noynoy is the next president as his supporters will vote for him. This assertion or title was also emphasized in the wordings of the text ‗Presidente ko‘ (My President).

There was a certain degree of confidence and assurance with the use of the words in the text.

With the name and the phrase that followed below it, it formed into a sentence with the thought

‗Si Noynoy Aquino ang president ko sa 2010! (Noynoy Aquino is my president in 2010!).

Conversely, the text ‗pag-asa ng bayan‘ (Hope of the country) was capitalized and placed on the lower part of the advertisement. Among the other texts in the poster, this phrase had the biggest font size stressing emphasis on the thought it conveys.

Color: It can be noticed that yellow still dominates the color of the advertisement since it was used as a bigger background color than blue. Also, the biggest text was also displayed in this color. Emphasis was given to this color for it is yellow that the Aquino‘s are known for.

Graphic Images: There were three significant images shown in the poster – picture of

Noynoy with a letter ‗L‘ hand gesture, images of Cory and Ninoy, and a yellow ribbon. The ‗L- 16

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES shaped‘ hand gesture which means ‗laban‘ (fight) came from the presidential campaign of

Corazon Aquino. This hand sign was significantly affiliated with the elder Aquinos for it was commonly used during the time of the Aquinos and Marcoses whose camp used the ‗V‘ sign for victory. Images of Cory and Ninoy above the print advertisement seemed to convey the message that they are overseeing Noynoy from heaven. It symbolized the legacy of the Aquino family.

Ninoy, his charismatic father was considered the greatest champion of democracy being he was assassinated in 1983, while his mother, Cory, became the figurehead of a popular rebellion in

1986 that toppled Marcos (De Castro, 2010). The yellow ribbon was also highly associated with

Cory as it symbolized the revolution that ended Ferdinand Marcos‘ dictatorship. It became popular with the song ‗Tie a yellow ribbon ‗round the old oak tree‘, a pop song by Tony Orlando and Dawn which was adopted in celebration of the return of Ninoy to the Philippines.

Master Narrative: Unlike the previous poster that used text as the main element to point out that Noynoy is the son of Ninoy and Cory, this poster used graphic images such as the images of Noynoy‘s parents and yellow ribbon. Noynoy was framed in this poster as a rising leader who would do the same service to the people catered by his parents during their time.

Noynoy was not only seen as the champion of democracy, next to his parents, but also as a champion of hope who would save the people from the burden of the Arroyo administration. His campaign poster showed that he would bring light to the Filipino, the same way as his parents did. The wordings of the text conveyed a conviction that he is the next president of the people for the trust given to his parents shall also be bestowed upon him by the people.

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PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

Campaign Posters of Jinggoy Estrada

Poster No. 1 – The Father and Son Campaign

Visual Information Structure: The surname

‗Estrada‘ was highly emphasized in this poster as it was the one that has the largest font size and the only text that was capitalized. Although there were two candidates in the poster, Jinggoy and Erap shared the same written text of their surname. Their first names were displayed in a smaller font size compared to their surname, which gave more importance to the word ‗Estrada‘. The people have known them in their screen names in the show business industry and this was how they were called even in politics. The positions they were running for were unnoticeable because of its small font size and resemblance to the color of the background. On the bottom part of the poster, the words ‗Anak ng Masa‘ for Jinggoy and ‗Ama ng Masa‘ for Erap were written under their photograph. This was the slogan used by Erap during his campaign for presidency in 1998.

Erap‘s appeal to the masses made him earn the largest margin in our political history. His charisma as an actor made a great impact to the people as he was seen as the champion of the masses which he portrayed in movies. This was also used by Jinggoy as he used the phrase

‗Anak ng Masa‘, taking the same pathway to politics as Erap did. The slogan ‗Kung may ERAP may ginhawa‘ used by Erap in his previous campaign for presidency was also used in the May

2010 presidential election.

Color: The use of color orange in the surname ‗Estrada‘ signified the orange ‗history‘ in the campaign of Erap in politics. It was this color that made him connect and identify with the masses. He also used orange in his campaign for mayor, senator, vice president and president.

The color of the text ‗for senator‘ and ‗for president‘ resembled and blended with the lighter 18

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES color of blue as background. On the other hand, the use of color white in the text ‗Anak ng

Masa‘ and ‗Ama ng Masa‘ created emphasis to the thought of the text. Intention to get the attention of the audience was captured when it was displayed over a light blue-colored background for it highlighted the text very well.

Graphic Images: The photograph of Erap and Jinggoy signified their relation as father and son in the campaign. It highlighted that Jinggoy is the son of former president Joseph

Estrada and he is likewise campaigning for a position in the senate for the May 2010 election.

The print advertisement showed that they are campaigning for each other with the gesture of putting their arms on each other‘s shoulders. It can be noted that both of them are running in the same election period. This was particularly significant as it underscored the underlying dynasty aspect of the phenomenon. The trend of political dynasties running in elections all at the same time was supported by the candidacy of the two Estradas in the May 2010 election. Also, it can be noticed that the way Jinggoy dressed himself in the poster was similar to the get up of his father Erap.

Master Narrative: Jinggoy follows the footsteps of Erap in politics. Jinggoy was framed in the poster as the son of Erap Estrada known for his being champion of the masses. The father and son tandem showed that they are campaigning for each other. It conveyed that Erap as a father supports his son Jinggoy in his endeavor to win in the senatorial election and vice versa.

Erap also lends his popularity to his son Jinggoy. Putting them beside each other helps voters to remember how they are affiliated to each other. Jinggoy can win again the hearts of the people with his father at his side to guide him and give him support. This framing appeals to the audience very much since Filipinos value family ties a lot.

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Poster No. 2 – Campaign for the re-election of Jinggoy in the Senate

Visual Information Structure: The surname of the candidate was

the only text capitalized in the campaign poster. It was also of remarkable

size since it was bigger not only when compared to the first name of

Jinggoy but also with the other texts in the advertisement. The word ‗re-

elect‘ conveyed the message of another term in the Senate since his previous term lasted already. The word also expressed the thought of his experience as a former senator of the country. His slogan ‗Ang inyong boses at tinig sa Senado‘ (Your voice in the

Senate) expressed that he is the voice of the people, someone who would articulate their grievances and needs for them to be heard.

Color: The dark shade of green used in the name of the candidate highlighted the text. It was a way to catch the attention of the audience of who the person is in the poster. It stood out among the other text for it emphasized the importance of the name of Jinggoy. Also, the color of the polo of Jinggoy which is orange can be well-identified with the campaign color of his father

Erap. Orange is a color highly related to Erap.

Graphic Images: The photograph of Jinggoy in the poster resembled the image of Erap in his previous campaign during elections. Jinggoy looked like his father with the way he dressed and smiled. Jinggoy had Erap‘s charismatic appeal that attracts the masses.

Master Narrative: Jinggoy as an actor, politician and son of Erap. With the framing of

Jinggoy as a resemblance of Erap, it depicted that Jinggoy is given the role to act as if he is his father. Through his packaging as a common person in the poster, his simple polo shirt and charismatic smile, Jinggoy softens his image as an actor who is known in action scenes. His 20

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES look, the way he smiles and the polo he wears in the photo is very much like the get up of Erap.

He wears the personality of his father Erap as shown in his image in the poster.

Campaign Posters of Bongbong Marcos

Poster No. 1 and 2 (presented together because of the same content) –

Asikasong Bongbong

Visual Information Structure: Similar with the poster of

Jinggoy, Bongbong‘s surname, Marcos, was emphasized in the poster with the use of a large font size. It was also bigger than the way his first name was displayed. The letters of his name were all capitalized.

This was Bongbongs‘ first attempt in the senate but definitely not his first in politics. He served as governor of Ilocos Norte for nine years and congressman for three years. He used his experiences and projects to promote his campaign for senate with the slogan

‗Asikasong tuloy-tuloy!‘.

Color: Red, blue and white was the color used by Ferdinand Marcos, father of Bongbong in 1986 during his campaign. These were also the colors used in the poster of Bongbong Marcos in his campaign in the May 2010 election. The red background of the poster can be well- identified with the campaign color used by his father. Significant texts, such as his name and slogan, were written in color white for emphasis and highlights. The background color for the text of his surname, on the other hand, was blue in color. 21

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Graphic Images: Aside from the photograph of Bongbong Marcos on displayed on the poster, the image of the windmills at the background was used by Bongbong in the campaign. It was to highlight the achievements and projects he has done in his hometown. He also used this in his commercial advertisement taken on the actual place itself. It was the centerpiece of the campaign ‗Asikasong Bongbong‘. It was his mark as a local official for it was the country‘s first windmill power plant in Ilocos Norte. Windmills highlighted the platform on Bongbong on power generation in the light of the current power crisis in the country (Bartolo, 2010).

Master Narrative: The use of windmills as a significant graphic image and centerpiece of

Bongbong Marcos‘s campaign conveyed a message hidden to the audience. It shifts the attention of the viewer. Instead of remembering him as the son of former president Ferdinand who ended his reign with a bad reputation, he diverts the attention of the voters to the things he has done in his province and district when he was a local official. His image with the windmills on his background was used to deflate his relation with his father and with the surname Marcos.

Looking beyond usual windmills, the image used in the poster symbolizes the redefinition of the

Marcoses in the personality of Bongbong Marcos. With the slow circular motion of the blade, it can be said that the world is round and things may change, what was once down can go up. In the case of Marcos, he is framed as a politician who would bring to life again the clan of Marcos in politics with his campaign in the national level. He was shown as a member of the Marcos family who shall bring rebirth to the legacy of his clan in Philippine politics. 22

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Campaign Jingles Campaign jingles catch the attention of voters effectively, especially those with popular and upbeat music. The songs‘ appeal engages listeners of all age. Caparas (2004) describes jingle as a candidate‘s musical score where its usefulness lies in its being a mnemonic device that compresses the candidate‘s name, programs and platforms. Half-truths and myths of campaign jingles were examined through content analysis of the song and its lyrics.

Campaign Jingle of Noynoy Aquino The campaign jingle of Noynoy Aquino was a novelty-inspired original composition. The song was sung by Teddy Corpuz of Rocksteddy, an alternative rock Filipino band. It is unique for it features Noynoy Aquino rapping at the middle part of the jingle. It captured the taste of the

Filipinos for music because of its upbeat novelty-inspired melody. The song opened with the line

‗pinoy‘ followed by ‗noynoy‘ which was repeated consecutive after every line during the first and last part of the song. The act of repeatedly saying the name of ‗Noynoy‘ appeals on name recall to make the listeners remember the name of the candidate in the campaign jingle.

Noynoy‘s campaign jingle is centered on his message that unlike the previous administration (referring to the Arroyo administration) he can offer something new to the public wherein they will benefit, a kind of leader and government that is not corrupt and will never make use of public funds for personal use. With the lyrics of the song, Noynoy wanted to gain the trust and confidence of the people in him and his capabilities. However, there were no particular platforms laid in the lyrics. The message given was broad and vague concepts of hope.

This can be seen in lines 1-8 and 12-15 where Noynoy chanted.

Pag-asa at ginhawa Para sa atin kanyang dala-dala Mahal ang kapwa di puro salita. 23

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

‗Di magnanakaw Sa kanya‘y magtiwala Hey kabataan May liwanag ang daan Edukasyon sa bagong henerasyon

[Noynoy raps] Baguhin ang buhay Maglilingkod sa inyo Buong mundo ipagmalaki mo Tayo‘y Pilipino!

A significant part is given to mention the parents of Noynoy – Cory as a president and

Ninoy as a hero. The message of the lines implies that the Aquinos had a good reputation and background in leadership, being leaders and champions of Democracy during the Marcos dictatorship. Hence, it argues that Noynoy will not turn to ways that will destroy the reputation of his parents. These lines suggest that Cory and Ninoy looks after and guides Noynoy in the things he will do.

Gabay ni President Cory at ni Ninoy na bayani Katiwalian ay hindi na mangyayari

Campaign Jingle of Jinggoy Estrada With ‗Ang boses at tinig mo sa Senado‘as Jinggoy Estrada‘s slogan in his campaign poster, it is ironic that the chosen original composition of his selected campaign jingle is entitled

‗Bulong‘ (Whisper) by Kitchie Nadal, a multi-awarded singer-songwriter of pinoy rock, alternative rock and OPM. In his campaign posters, he was packaged as someone who would voice out the feelings and opinion of the people. The original title of the song was a total 24

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES opposite of what his slogan speaks of. On the other hand, the popularity of the song to the masses made it more appealing to listeners which caught their attention.

The lyrics of Jinggoy‘s campaign jingle do not say much about his platforms and programs when he gets re-elected in the senate. The message of the song is vague and broad. It says more about Jinggoy‘s attitude and personality as an action star in the movie industry than as a politician. The line ‗Gamitin ang talino mo, Diskarteng walang sinasanto‘ showcases Jinggoy‘s asset as a politician but his attitude and principles as an actor who is aggressive and picaresque remains. The line conveys that Jinggoy resembles the principles of his father Erap with his known words of ‗Walang kai-kaibigan, Walang kamakamag-anak!‘.

The following line that says ‗Sabihin ang lahat kung kinakailingan‘ has a word qualifier

‗kung‘ or ‗if‘ when translated. The statement is ironic for it conveys the message that Jinggoy should voice out everything that should be said but with a qualifier that ‗if it is only needed‘. The last part of the line ‗kung kinakailangan‘ is vague for it can have many implications such as ‗if it is not needed then it should not be said?‘ or ‗how do we define the phrase when needed?‘. It creates a doubt if he can really be someone who could serve as the voice of the people even if it takes the costs of going against his own interests and that of his family.

Jinggoy is portrayed as someone like the masses which resembles the image his father is known for. Jinggoy being called ‗kaibigan ko‘ (my friend) in the chorus of the song implies that he is someone whom you can approach easily. This bridges the gap of his status as a politician to his image to the people. The lines ‗tuloy mo lang and naumpisahan mo‘ and ‗Kami‘y umaasa sa‘yo, ‗pagtanggol ang bawat Pilipino‘ expresse passivity to the activities and works he has done before as a senator. However, it does not tell the people or the listeners of whether what he did was good or bad. Questions of does it pertain to his acts such advocacy of legalizing jueteng in 25

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES the country or to the preservation of the status quo arise. The line conveys that people submits and depends to how he had been as a senator in his last term.

Campaign Jingle of Bongbong Marcos The jingle used by Bongbong Marcos contained limited words. It can only be heard at the last part of his commercial advertisement. The line ‗tuloy-tuloy‘ was repeated several times. This was also used in his campaign poster slogan ‗Asikasong tuloy-tuloy‘. Analyzing the line carefully, it implies two meanings. Explicitly, it conveys the principle of continued good governance. With a good reputation in his hometown and previous position in politics, continuity pertained to in the lines refer to his continued good service to the people, not only aiming the local level but also the national level as he run for senator. On the other hand, implicitly, it conveys that Bongbong Marcos is the continuity and marks the beginning of continuity of the

Marcos clan again in Philippine politics. It seems to convey a bad notion when related to the reign of his father. Continuity being emphasized may refer to how his father ruled the country during his time. The concept of continuity used in the lyrics is vague and may refer to two meanings directly opposite of each other.

Data Analysis

Similarities and Differences in Campaign Strategies

In the data gathered, candidates share similarities in their campaign strategies as shown in their print and commercial advertisements. Examining the Visual Information Structure of the posters, it shows that candidates who are members of political dynasties highlight and emphasize the surname of their clans. This can be noticed in the case of Jinggoy Estrada and Bongbong

Marcos whose surnames appear bigger than their first names and other texts in the 26

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES advertisement. In the case of Noynoy, emphasis is given to his first name since his name

‗Noynoy‘ can easily be identified with the name of ‗Ninoy‘ his father who is looked upon as a hero in the country. The surname of the Aquinos is well-known in the country not only because of the recent death of Cory Aquino months before the election but also because of the popularity of Nonoy‘s sister, Kris Aquino – a TV host-actress, nationwide. This strategy of emphasizing one‘s name is for the purpose of name recall and easy voters‘ identification of the candidates.

Slogans also play an important role in campaigning to win. Candidates are easily identified by voters through their slogans. In the case of the chosen candidates during the May

2010 elections, Noynoy and Jinggoy used their family background as an advantage. ‗Dugong

Bayani‘ used by Noynoy emphasizes the good reputation of his father as a hero, while the following phrase ‗Pusong Bayani‘ pertains to the kind heart of Corazon Aquino who restored democracy in the country after the dictatorship of Marcos. On the other hand, Jinggoy used the slogan ‗Anak ng Masa‘ to resemble that of his father‘s slogan ‗Ama ng Masa‘. Using the image of his father as champion of the masses, Jinggoy easily identified himself as one of the masses through the message and popularity of his Erap‘s slogan. Bongbong Marcos presented a different case since he made use of the slogan ‗Asikasong tuloy-tuloy‘. Marcos, a local executive before he ran as senator, used such campaign slogan to relay the message that he can serve not only his province and district but the country as a whole. His slogan was the centerpiece of the campaign since his strategy is to promote himself through the achievements and projects he did in the local level.

Upon examining the element of color in the campaign posters, the dominant color or campaign color of the candidates are influenced by the colors used by their parents in their 27

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES election campaigns. Noynoy adopted yellow as his campaign color because this was also the color used by Cory Aquino in her presidential campaign. Orange as the campaign color of Erap

Estrada can be seen in the polo Jinggoy is wearing in the poster as well as in the text color of their surname ‗Estrada‘. Moreover, it can be remembered that red, white and blue the dominant colors in the poster of Bongbong Marcos can be identified with the campaign color used by his father Ferdinand Marcos during his campaign.

Other than their own photographs, candidates used other graphic images in their campaign posters. In Noynoy‘s poster, images of Cory and Ninoy and a yellow ribbon can be seen. It symbolizes the recognition of Noynoy‘s family connection and images highly associated with his family. This strategy is also true with the poster of Jinggoy Estrada where his father

Erap was with him in the poster. On the other hand, Bongbong differed from the two candidates because he used images of windmills in his poster. Windmills highlighted his platform on power generation for the country.

Campaign jingles are also effective means of engaging the attention of the voters to the campaign of the candidates. However, jingles do not say much about the platforms and programs of candidates which is ironic because the purpose of campaign jingles is to appeal to the listeners a compressed form of the advocacies and plans of a candidate in a melody that attracts the listener‘s attention. Through the analysis of the lyrics of campaign jingles, this type of strategy is for the purpose of name recall. Through popular songs and its repetitiveness, voters do not forget easily the names of the candidates.

From the discussion of the similarities and differences in campaign strategies used by candidates, a dominant theme emerges with the use of critical discourse analysis. Through 28

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES careful study of the social power and dominance enacted by the text and visual aid in the political context, half-truths are unveiled and myths are discovered in the candidate‘s election campaigns.

Half-truths and Myths

Flaunting the surnames of members of political dynasties in posters is an evident half- truth and myth that can be seen. Their surnames hide the truth about their families. Through the posters and jingles half-truths about the advertisements of each candidate were revealed. Noynoy

Aquino‘s use of the image and background of his mother Cory as the champion of democracy hinders the truth about the role of the masses in the achievement of that event. The masses who gathered together to topple the reign of Marcos are the real champions of democracy. Cory would not be Cory without the thousands of Filipinos who put her in place and liberate the country from dictatorship (The Guidon, 2009). Cory Aquino was an instrument used in the attainment of the democracy, but the real credits shall be given to the people. Cory as an icon of democracy blurs the importance of the role played by the people, as the focus was only given on her. Using historical revisionism, explaining that history is written by the winners, the causality of Cory being the champion of democracy should be reinterpreted. The actual role played by

Noynoy‘s parents during that time was as protagonists, with Marcos being the antagonist. It was a battle of good versus evil, wherein in the end goodness should prevail. The word ‗bayani‘ also gives a messianic meaning, saying that the Aquinos were the ones who restored order and harmony in the country.

The death of Corazon Aquino also seemed to have a cleansing effect. The death of a personality makes the masses forget wrongdoings and practices he/she did when was still living.

During the Cory‘s Administration there was no significant change that happened in the situation 29

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES of farmers in the country. Agrarian reform under her rule was full of loopholes and circumventions that did not cater the needs of the farmers. In 1985, then presidential candidate

Corazon ―Cory‖ Aquino promised— during her campaign- to make land reform as the center- piece program of her administration. After she took over the presidency, she also promised to subject Hacienda Luisita under agrarian reform. These promises, though, were short lived because of the enactment of RA 6657 in 1988 that designates the possession and control of agricultural lands to corporations while depriving farmers of ownership of the land (BOLAOD

Mindanaw, Inc., 2010). The line in the campaign jingle of Noynoy ‗katiwalian ay hindi na mangyayari‘ is a myth since the truth about Cory‘s administration and the cleanliness of her image is doubtful.

In the case of Jinggoy Estrada, his slogan ‗Anak ng Masa‘ identified with his father‘s

‗Ama ng Masa‘ is questionable. Even before, during the campaign of his father for presidency this slogan has been brought to question. Examining the background of Erap Estrada, he did not really exist from the masses. In fact, his family is known to be professionals in different fields.

He came from an upper-middle class family. He was a man of means and a millionaire in his own right. Campaign strategists succeeded in making Erap appear to be one of the masses. It was an impression that the majority of the voters willingly accepted because that was how they had known him and how they remembered him from the movies (Crisostomo, 1999). Erap was also known to be morally unfit during his campaign because he was saddled with vices such as womanizing, drinking and gambling among them. The reputation of Erap in the surname

‗Estrada‘ creates an image of myth that their family is pro-poor and pro-people.

Bongbong Marcos who carries the name of his father Ferdinand Marcos, is not exempted from such half-truths and myths about their family. The Marcoses is well-known political clan in 30

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES the province of Ilocos Norte. His father reigned as the 10th president of the country with an iron fist from 1966 until 1986. His regime was charged with crimes such as corruption, nepotism and massive human rights violations. When the state-mandated adulation proved insufficient for him to maintain control, he declared Martial Law. At one time, he was one of the world‘s most powerful dictators. He consolidated power by manipulating public opinion, stealing elections and engaging in political patronage and bribery. Under martial law, Marcos suspended then revamped the constitution, silenced the media, and used violence and oppression against political opposition. He nationalized and monopolized increasing portions of industry and further increased spending on patronage. Throughout this time, the US and international organizations such as the World Bank and IMF generously supported the Marcos regime with aid and loans.

Marcos was able to exchange solid commitment to the Philippine-US alliance with significant

US aid, due to US Cold War interests of having military bases strategically located in the

Philippines. It is often argued that a great proportion Marcos‘ patronage was funded by US aid

(Kushida, 2003). Ferdinand Marcos, the father of Bongbong Marcos ended his regime in

Philippine politics with a bitter ending facing series of cases filed against him. Marcos was not able to redeem his reputation and name as he lost in the snap election conducted at that time.

Bongbong Marcos tried to deflate the audience‘s attention to the idea that he is for the welfare of the Filipino than to give focus to his background as a Marcos. He was trying to convey that his father should stop being blamed for the Philippines‘ woes as he argued that nothing much has changed today. This is certainly a half-truth since history never forgets. The things his father Marcos had done to the people and his victims can never heal. The pains and death Marcos caused to the victims‘ families are not easily forgotten no matter how many times

Bongbong emphasize that he is concerned with the state of our country today. His slogan 31

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

‗Asikasong tuloy-tuloy‘ is a myth since the very essence of the phrase is vague. It implies two things: the work that he aims to continue speaks of the continuance of his performance as a local executive, and a kind of governance done by his father during Ferdinand Marcos‘s reign in the past - corruption, nepotism and massive human rights violations.

Half-truths and myths in election campaign strategies are hidden to the Filipino electorate. The political arena is a big stage where election candidates play as actors that try to convey to the voters who act audience a particular impression of the world around them, a world dominated by those who manipulate and control power in politics. Through the use of campaign posters and jingles, candidates who are members of political dynasties create a new reality for the people to accept and consider. The question of how are candidates convince the voters to adopt a particular understanding of the embedded social system is explained by Goffman‘s dramaturgy. Goffman says that this is accomplished by using tools and instruments such as election campaign materials. Campaigning is an act of performance done by candidates, complete with the roles they play, the script and the costumes. Like in a theater act where things done at the back stage are not seen by the audience, actions, characters and real personalities of candidates who are members of political dynasties are not seen by the Filipino electorate.

Dramaturgy explains that the world is much more like a stage than we commonly realize.

Interactions between individuals constitute to human experiences. The images and characters expressed by posters and jingles are products of the role played by the candidate. With low voters‘ education, candidates easily manipulate the voting behavior of the people. They are deceived by the candidate‘s image packaging. This leads to a choice of candidate based on personality and popularity. 32

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES

This phenomenon of voter‘s vulnerability to half-truths and myths in election campaign materials contributes to the persistence of political dynasties in the country. Combined with the theory of dramaturgy, Gramsci‘s hegemony explains that the predominance of one social class over the others represents not only economic control but political control as well. A ruling class forms and maintains hegemony in a society through intellectual means. The way the society is controlled and manipulated is of direct consequence of the practice of a false consciousness and creation of values and life choices that are to be followed. Members of political dynasties project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are subordinated by it accept it as ‗common sense‘ and ‗natural‘. This control by political dynasties is then legitimized by the willingness and active consent of the electorate to the kind of campaign system during elections. Friske (1992) explains that consent must be constantly won and rewon, through continuous positive packaging of members of political dynasties, for people‘s material social experience constantly reminds them of the disadvantages of subordination.

Conclusion

The data gathered together with the ideological underpinnings used in this study successfully answered the objectives set in this paper. The study focused on the election campaign materials of President Noynoy Aquino, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Senator

Bongbong Marcos during the May 2010 elections. Using visual and textual analysis, campaign strategies used by candidates who belong to political dynasties were carefully analyzed. There were similarities and differences in the techniques used in packaging the image of the candidates.

With further critical discourse analysis and research on the background of the subjects of this study, the half-truths and myths in their election campaign materials were revealed. It was 33

PERPETUATING DYNASTIES proven that candidates who are members of political dynasties use campaign posters and jingles to play up information about their clan that will promote positive publicity to convince the

Filipino electorate to vote for them. Campaigning is an act of performance done by candidates, complete with the roles they play, the script and the costumes. Voters are vulnerable to the being deceived by the half-truths and myths of political advertisements because of low voters‘ education. Candidates easily manipulate the voting behavior and choice of candidate of the voters, a choice based on personality and popularity. Gramsci‘s hegemony explains that this predominance of political dynasties in Philippine politics is legitimized and accepted through willingness and active consent. Members of political dynasties project its own way of seeing the world, through election campaign materials as their tool or instrument so that those who are subordinated by it accept it as ‗common sense‘ and ‗natural‘.

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