News5 turns to satire to educate voters, launches ‘Bayaw’ party
Less than a year before the 2016 elections, a television network launches its election advocacy campaign to help Filipino voters decide whom to vote for.
News5, the news division of TV5 network, launched on Tuesday its “Bayaw for President” campaign, a parody on the Philippines’ current political landscape.
Using a series of vignettes to portray fictional events, “Bayaw for President” has the look and feel of a TV documentary, but it employs the irreverent humor of a popular comedian to mock the subject of its feature.
Jun Sabayton will play a nuisance candidate running under the Bagong Alyansang Ayaw sa Walang Hiya party or “Bayaw.”
During the show’s run, Sabayton will denounce his political rivals as corrupt and incompetent, but the truth is he himself is involved in shady practices.
“It’s really the time of political satire and there is no better time to actually exploit the power of political satire than in an election season. That’s why we thought of ‘Bayaw,’” Luchi Cruz-Valdes, head of TV 5 news and public affairs, said.
“We used satire and comedy to effectively communicate to our viewers the message that … it’s really time to use our heads and hearts (to know) who to vote for,” Valdes added.
Comedian Jun Sabayton (center, in barong) poses with the members of TV5’s news and public affairs group News 5 on Tuesday during the launch of the station’s election advocacy campaign “Bayaw for President.”
Sabayton said the show would not only educate voters in 2016 but also in future elections as well.
He says he is saddened that the Filipino electorate does not have enough choices in the elections.
“Ang lungkot lang ngayon kasi parang wala tayong choice,” Sabayton said, adding debates among politicians had become personal instead of being focused on the real issues.
He said voters should not just settle for “the lesser evil” in choosing the next leaders of the country.
“Pag-aralang mabuti siguro yung kandidato. Pwede mo namang iboto ’yung hindi lang lesser evil. Pumili ka ng totoong kandidato na tapat at kayang mag-lead ng bansa,” he said.
He hopes that the “M Generation” or what he describes as the millennial and mobile generation will learn from the show and become informed voters.
According to Valdes, “Bayaw” will be a serious discussion of the Philippines’ political landscape portrayed through humorous situations.
“Ito ay seryosong talakayan pero nakapaloob siya sa nakakatawang paraan,” Valdes said.
Through the situations portrayed in the show, Valdes hopes that viewers will be informed on whom to vote for come 2016.
“Umaasa kaming dahil kay Bayaw ay magiging pamilyar ang lahat sa trapong dapat iwasan,” she said.
“Kung ayaw niyo kay Bayaw dahil ayaw niyo sa trapo at walang hiya, itatanong namin sa bawat Pilipino, kayo ano ang nais niyo?” Valdes added. Nestor Corrales/RC
