LFS wants Shooli ads pulled out and investigated

LFS wants "right-wing" Shooli commercials pulled out and investigated;
says ads a waste of taxpayer money

The League of Filipino Students (LFS) is calling for the pull-out and
investigation of the controversial television advertisement featuring
Jun Urbano a.k.a "Mr. Shooli" which, using "Mongolian Barbeque" humor,
assails people power protests and proclaims that "change starts with
one's self."

LFS national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said the ads are a "big
waste of taxpayer's money, as hundreds of thousands, if not millions
of pesos are being spent on mindless, pro-government propaganda."

The ads are reportedly funded by the Development Bank of the
Philippines (DBP) and Landbank, both corporations government owned and
controlled.

"Instead of allotting subsidies for rice, education and other badly
needed services, the government opts to use to fund a right-wing
political comic which no one really buys. This is a further insult to
the people who are getting poorer and hungrier precisely because of
senseless projects like this one," said Crisostomo.

The Shooli ad featured a staged rally using banners of people's
organizations including LFS. After discrediting people power and
enumerating Shooli's suggestions for self-discipline, it implied that
the rally organizers pay P500 for people to participate.

"Tell that to Ka Bel. Everyone knows that LFS, BAYAN, KMU and other
people's organizations do not pay a cent to its members and supporters
participating in protest actions," said Crisostomo.

As to Shooli's "self-transformatio n" formula: "The suggestions are as
lame as the ad. It's telling everyone to just mind their own business
and stop protesting, as if that's going to stop Arroyo from lies,
treachery and corruption. This is clearly a desperate attempt to stop
the snowball of protests and prevent the downfall of the Arroyo
government," he said.

LFS suspects that the video is part of a military intelligence psy-ops
strategy as Jun Urbano is reportedly directing a series of
anti-communist films. One, which starred Bembol Roco, already came out
May of last year. "We will not be surprised if the military is behind
this. What we fear is that via these films, they are now setting the
stage for further killings and abductions, this time, probably,
focusing in the 'people power' centers: Metro Manila and nearby
cities," Crisostomo said. #

The ad can be seen online here:
http://karlc. multiply. com/video/ item/13/Pagbabag o_TVC_Govt_ smear_campaign_ vs_peoples_ organizations
(Scroll at the end of the article on the linked page to locate the video.)

Reference: Vencer Crisostomo, LFS National Chairperson, 09157991059, 09228262606

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