EDITORIAL: PR Frenzy

PR Frenzy

Volume 4, No. 52

 

TROUBLE is brewing in the Palace—again.

 

In an apparent panic over the sharp dip in the President’s net approval ratings, the Palace is said to be in over-drive to save PNoy’s sagging image and to save the Liberal Party bet from certain doom come the 2016 presidential elections.  Problem is, the Balay and Samar groups are at it again, each with their own ideas of how to save the ship from sinking.

 

A newspaper report says the Palace is now in PR crisis mode and both Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, leaders of the Samar and Balay groups have activated their own PR machineries to help solve the administration quandary.

 

Roxas, who is supposedly the LP standard bearer in 2016, is reportedly bringing back the American handler who propelled him to the Senate with the “Mr. Palengke” brand in 2004.  Meanwhile, Ochoa is said to have called back his Samar team—led by television director and PNoy cousin Maria Montelibano—to active duty.

 

Roxas’ tactic is expected to be filled with slogans and geared toward a return to the basic platform of good governance.  Sounds like a remake of “Daang Matuwid”.  On the other hand, with a television director at the helm, Ochoa could be gunning for a more cinematic approach, one involving high drama and the broadcast media.

 

Balay and Samar have been at odds since 2010 following the Mar’s loss to Jejomar Binay and this opportunity to outdo one another could end in another fiasco for PNoy.

 

Caught up and probably lost in all this mess is Secretary Sonny Coloma, presidential spokesperson and the guy, as his job description suggests, who is supposed to be on top of the President’s public information and communication concerns. Appointed to replace Edwin Lacierda, observers say the President may be unhappy with Coloma’s inability to do damage control on the DAP issue and, most recently, the issue of port congestion.

 

In the end, we are the losers in this PR game.  A massive public relations campaign will entail the use of public funds—money that could be better spent improving the plight of Juan dela Cruz than to save the flagging numbers of a confused President.