CICC as a billboard

Now that the group called the Cebuanos for Good Governance and Development (CGGD) has claimed responsibility for mounting  the “Never Again” billboard in front of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), is the controversy  over the 60-foot-wide  political ad  over?

Far from it.It’s stirred a hornet’s nest in the Capitol, where the governor  and his provincial administrator were caught unaware it was already up.

Then  Gov. Hilario Davide III had to paper it over, saying it was fine to keep it there because it was in line with his advocacy against corruption.

Until now, the main actors  behind the clever  yellow banner remain in the shadows.   In the administration camp, allies are not coordinating their propaganda, it seems.

An  LGBT group has sent word that contrary to reports, Bisdak Pride does not belong to the new coalition.   The “lead convenor” of the CGGD, who comes from their ranks,  has dropped out of sight.  Who else is misspeaking for the mission?

Then there’s the Mandaue city government,  which co-manages the CICC and owns the land where it stands.    Mayor Jonas Cortes didn’t know about the midnight billboard  either, and pointed out that it has no permit from Mandaue.

And there’s the doubtful effectiveness of the message itself.

“Never Again” was noble  as a  national touchstone to remind the public  about the gross abuses of the Marcos dictatorship and its other  incarnations.  The anti-corruption message was a classic.

But once the second tarpaulin  came up stating the P840-million cost was a “waste of people’s money” in exclamation points, the giant poster was revealed for what it was – an attack ad.

The real target was  not the national conscience but the former Garcia administration, whose One Cebu party is fielding a family member to challenge Davide’s reelection.

Suddenly, a dilapidated government edifice had become a narrow poster board for the Liberal Party’s campaign a full three months before the official election period. (Mar Roxas was in town last week, did you ever hear him praising the stunt?)

Using public property for partisan politics is as  prohibited as the participation of government employees and officials in a mass action for  partisan interests under Civil Service and DILG guidelines.

We also say it has “doubtful” impact  because the dig about a “waste of people’s money” is clear only to those who know and accept the history of the CICC as a rush job where prices escalated unnecessarily and several parties benefited.   Those who only see the decrepit state of the CCIC today could interpret waste as the neglect of present caretakers, the “criminal neglect” line Garcia opponents are now using with effect.

A huge signboard like that shouldn’t be diluted by an ambiguous message.And deception in its installation undermines the project’s aspiration for clean, good governance.   It’s just not in good taste anymore.