Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice said, “you speak an infinite deal of nothing” and I remember said quote again and again when the presidential spokesman (spox) again and again twisted on air. This time it is worse than before because he had to recant what he said on the same day. Last Friday, 22 August, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda played the no elections (NoEl) card, stirring up speculation about the cancellation of the elections, when he said, “if ever the 2016 elections would push through.” Lacierda, after probably getting a dressing down, retracted and said elections “will push through.”

Somehow it brings us back to the earlier days of the Aquino administration when certain quarters were already raising an issue on having a separate presidential spokesman and a press secretary. It would have been better if the presidential spokesman had “received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and public affairs in this role in order to ensure that public announcements are made in the most appropriate fashion and through the most appropriate channels to maximize the impact of favorable messages, and to minimize the impact of unfavorable messages.” Apart from these, supporters of this administration have pointed out that lawyers are the worst communicators but since Lacierda’s star was hooked on the campaign trail, it was a free ride for him to the point of eroding the pulpit he stands on.

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