MANILA, Philippines – Jun Sabayton for president? Not exactly.

With the 2016 elections well on the horizon, NEWS5 has launched  B.A.Y.A.W for President, an advocacy campaign featuring Jun Sabayton as a candidate running under the B.A.Y.A.W. or Bagong Alyansang Ayaw sa Walang Hiya platform. The campaign is a satire with a TV documentary feel featuring the election situations through humor and slapstick comedy.

In each chapter or vignette, Jun will play a candidate under the party, wherein he will criticize his opponents while the character is also involved in wrongdoings. The vignette currently appears on NEWS5’s online shows and shown on TV this September.

Bayaw originally appeared in Lourd De Veyra’s  Word of the Lourd segment.

In a press release, the acronoym of B.A.Y.A.W was explained. This serves as the anchor of the party’s platform.

B stands for “Bahay ni B.A.Y.A.W para sa mga magnanakaw sa gobyerno” ( house of B.A.Y.A.W for the thieves in the government).

A for “Alisin ang baha” (stop the floods), hitting the growing flood problem in the country.

Y stands for “Yariin ang mga palpak na nagpapatakbo ng MRT” (Run after those who are operating the MRT) an ode to the country’s transportation system.

A for “Ayaw sa Mahirap” (No to poverty) wherein he promises a better life for the people and 

W for “Walang dagdag umento pero may dagdag na Linggo part 2″ (no additional salary increase but additional rest day), a solution to the wage and salary concerns. 

The launch of the event started with a marching band with Jun entering  the Manila Hotel function room in a balikbayan box pushed by a kariton accompanied by actress Krista Miller who acts as his wife and frist lady Jogalyn. The scene depicts the real scenarios of a campaign wherein Bayaw also shared his platforms and plans if he were to win as president.

Bayaw’s entrance #BAYAWForPresident #NaisKo pic.twitter.com/t7PipIIxN6

— alexa villano (@alexavillano) August 25, 2015

Bayaw also took questions from the media.

From yesterday’s BAYAW Presscon. pic.twitter.com/qVVs6c4Sex

— alexa villano (@alexavillano) August 26, 2015

Another video. pic.twitter.com/eSI1GTlzhP

— alexa villano (@alexavillano) August 26, 2015

In an interview with reporters, Jun clarified that the B.A.Y.A.W for President is an advocacy campaign for voters.

“Nakakalungkot isipin na naloloko ang mga tao sa mga [political] ads na iyon. Pero nililinaw namin na hindi po ito pangangampanya. Ito ay pangangampanya para sa adbokasiya para sa voter’s education. 

(It’s very sad to think that the people are fooled by the [political] ads they see on TV. But we are clarifying that this campaign is not for the elections. This is a campaign for the advocacy for voter’s education.)

“So ngayon, nag-eeducate kami na sa pamamagitan ng political satire, na nagpapatawa kami para madaling intindihan ng mga masang Pilipino,” Jun said, adding that it is not the right time to campaign. (So we are educating through political satire, making people laugh, so the masses can understand.)

Since he has been playing the role of political figures, has it even came into Jun’s mind to enter politics?

“Hindi, hindi ko siya inisip. Malungkot iyan, magulo iyan. Kung tatakbo talaga ayoko nung ganyan. Ano lang ako, artist lang ako na pwede ko express yung sarili ko…” he said.

(Never. I never thought about it. That’s very sad, very chaotic [world]. If I do ever run, I don’t want it to be like that. I am just an artist who expresses myself…)

Jun said that with the campaign, he hopes this will help voters decide and make decisions when they go to the polls. He reminds them not to vote for candidates just because of a good political ad. He also said that while they still need to push the campaign further, many are getting the concept of the satire.

“Maraming nakakagets nung advocacy. Yung mga tambay, nagegets nila yung ‘wasak yung ginagawa ninyo.’ Kasi hindi naman bobo yung masa…kaunting tulak pa. Malalaman naman nila iyan eventually,” he said. 

(Many understand the advocacy. The people in the streets, they get like ‘what you’re doing is great.’ The masses are not stupid…a little push. They will eventually know what the campaign is about.) – Rappler.com