The fuss over ‘illegal’ Team PNoy brand

MANILA, Philippines – Is this another case of media misinterpretation? 

At a sortie in Pampanga on Friday, March 2, Team PNoy campaign manager Sen Franklin Drilon dared the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to sue the administration slate after Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr allegedly said it cannot use the name “Team PNoy” in its ads or posters because it is not an official coalition. 

Asked for a reaction, Drilon issued a strong statement, saying that Brillantes’ alleged pronouncements were “totally without reason.” 

“As a lawyer I take strong exception. Team PNoy is a brand. It is a brand of Team PNoy. It is not a political party. This Team PNoy puts across the message that this is the administration slate. Team PNoy is not a party but a brand. I don’t know where Comelec is getting its legal opinions,” Drilon said. 

“I challenge Comelec. If you think it is illegal, then issue a prohibition against us. We will see. Because that is totally unfounded. This is part of our branding, so why should we be prohibited from using that?” he added. 

Drilon also challenged Comelec to do something about the “Team Patay” posters put up by the Diocese of Bacolod in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City. 

“I would suggest they look at posters in Bacolod rather than Team PNoy. Eh kung hindi nila kaya yun e (If they can’t even do anything about that),” he said.

But Brillantes claimed his statement — posted through Twitter — was misquoted. A review of his Twitter feed revealed that the apparent misinterpretation came from tweets explaining that notices for illegal Team PNoy posters would have to be sent to individual candidates since Team PNoy was not officially registered with the Comelec. 

Brillantes’ tweets did not indicate how some of Team PNoy’s posters were illegal but according to Comelec rules, lawful election posters must adhere to specific sizes and must be posted only in Comelec-designated areas. 

Notices re Team PNoy’s illegal poster will have to be sent to d individual candidates appearing on the ad. We treat it as a tandem/joint ad.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 28, 2013

Note that Team PNoy is NOT an accredited coalition but an “informal” banding of candidates coming from different parties.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 28, 2013

Thus, I urge candidates and political parties to stop complaining or whining, JUST COMPLY! We are just doing our job.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 28, 2013

On the other hand, I thank all the other candidates who were gracious enough to admit their mistake & complied w/ our orders to remove.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 28, 2013

On Friday night, Brillantes responded to Drilon’s statements on Twitter:

Whoever asked Sen. Drilon about this issue should start following me on Twitter & read my tweet carefully—bit.ly/Wqm74k

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) March 1, 2013

My comment is NOT about the use of the name/branding “Team PNoy”. There is nothing illegal with such type of arrangement.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) March 1, 2013

It was about a certain candidate who demanded that notices to remove Team PNoy’s misplaced poster be addressed to “Team PNoy” & not to him.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) March 1, 2013

Brillantes did not name who the candidate was. 

On February 13, United Nationalist Alliance campaign manager Toby Tiangco issued a “gentle reminder” Team PNoy against breaking election laws following alleged news reports quoting Brillantes again as saying that the Team PNoy name was not officially registered with the Comelec and cannot be used for poster. 

But the reports only cited the statement and did not include actual quotes from Brillantes. – with reports from Angela Casauay/Rappler.com