Pimentel ad: No to ‘zombie votes’

Ayee Macaraig

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An advocacy ad of Sen Pimentel uses zombies to urge Filipinos to register to vote

ZOMBIE VOTES. Sen Koko Pimentel says "zombie votes" refer to both those cast on behalf of dead voters and citizens who complain but do not bother to vote. Screengrab from the zombie ad

MANILA, Philippines – You would not want to see a zombie voting.

A new advocacy ad of Sen Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III depicts the actual scenario as the senator urged Filipinos to register to vote for the 2013 elections. Pimentel is running for reelection next year. Watch the ad here: 

The ad which aired on ABS-CBN and GMA7 on Wednesday, October 24, supported the campaign to beat the October 31 deadline for voter registration.

In the Halloween-timed ad, a zombie is seen trying to register to vote, complete with his ear and fingers falling off.

Pimentel then appears and says, “Zombie votes? Pandara iyan! ‘Pag di ka magparehistro, parang nagpadaya ka na rin. Use your kokote. Register and vote well. Kundi, patay. Nadaya na naman ang Pilipinas.” (Zombie votes? That’s cheating. If you don’t register to vote, it’s like you’re allowing yourself to be cheated. Use your head. Register and vote well. If not, you’re dead. It’s like the Philippines is cheated again.)

The senator, who has launched an anti-cheating campaign, explained to Rappler the concept behind his ad.

“[It’s about] zombie voters (illegal ones including the dead) as well as the zombie citizens (those who always complain against the government and yet do not bother to register). That’s why the call of the times is to register to vote so they could be voters,” Pimentel said in a text message.

The senator added, “[The] next advocacy should logically be to go out and vote.”

Pol ads in the time of social media

Coinciding with the release of the ad was a social media push by Pimentel’s staff on the Twitter account @SerbisyongKoko. The team retweeted the feedback on the ad, which some netizens found funny. 

The team also uploaded the ad on its Youtube account the same night of the airing. 

While other politicians also have ads on TV, radio and print, Pimentel’s was the first to call on Filipinos to register to vote. The Commission on Elections is leading the campaign, with Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez starting the hashtag #noexcuses to urge netizens to register.

It is also the first political ad to leverage the power of social media with the reach of traditional media, making it a combined campaign. 

Civil society groups have criticized political ads, calling it premature campaigning. The Comelec, however, concedes that rules on campaigning will only apply once the campaign period starts in February 2013.

Pimentel has adopted a platform of electoral reforms, claiming he was cheated by resigned Sen Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri in 2007. The senator was only able to assume the post in August 2011 following Zubiri’s resignation. He won his electoral protest against Zubiri. 

Pimentel is the president of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido Demokratiko-Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) but he is running under President Benigno Aquino III’s administration slate. – Rappler.com 

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