The Commission on Elections (Comelec) put its foot down Monday on candidates with upcoming movies, warning them against showing their films before and during the campaign period. Lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan, head of the Comelec legal department, said this also applies to candidates starring in entries to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) that will be shown starting Dec. 25. “If they have upcoming films that are scheduled for showing before and during the campaign period, they should reschedule them. It is the law, not their contracts with film outfits, that will prevail,” Rafanan said. When asked about candidates with entries to the MMFF, Rafanan said, “it will have to bow to the majesty of the law.” At least two prominent personalities running in the 2010 elections have entries in the MMFF – re-electionist Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. and Filipino boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao. Revilla stars in “Panday,” a co-production of Imus Productions and GMA Films. Pacquiao stars in “Wapakman,” a production of Solar Entertainment. However, Rafanan did not comment on films starring celebrities who are known endorsers of candidates in the 2010 elections.
