Nothing wrong with Gordon's ads, says Red Cross executive

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Philippines yesterday said there’s nothing wrong with the political advertisement of presidential candidate Sen. Richard Gordon showing his achievements as chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).

ICRC in the Philippines head Jean-Daniel Tauxe said it is normal for politicians to show their achievements during campaigns. He said many Red Cross officers are in politics.

“We have to make it clear that he is not a Red Cross candidate; that should be kept in mind,” Tauxe said in a media briefing at the Crowne Plaza Galleria in Ortigas.He said Red Cross officials should always remember that the organization is an international one and they should be impartial.

“We had already discussed it with Sen. Gordon and he told us what it means,” Tauxe said.

Gordon’s 30-second advertisement, which started airing late last year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RWnXiW2nuo), uses the Christmas song “Silent Night” and shows Gordon attending to evacuees from the rumbling Mayon Volcano, the victims of the Christmas Eve fire at the Pasay-Makati border, and victims of the sinking of the M/V Baleno off the coast of Mindoro Oriental on Dec. 26.

By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)

It also has the slogan “Hindi Natutulog si Dick Gordon (Dick Gordon does not sleep).”

Gordon is standard-bearer of the Bagumbayan Party with former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando as his running mate.