It’s hard to say when the political season began. Perhaps it never ended.

 With the 2013 midterm elections still months away, it would seem that practically all candidates for whatever position have already started to assault the electorate with their various paraphernalia.

There are the usual giveaways such as caps, t-shirts, calendars and the like. Some of these may actually be useful. There are others, however, that serve no useful purpose except to inform the general public that a person is running for re-election, or is trying to unseat an
incumbent.

Posters, billboards and tarpaulins are the most common of these election materials. Candidates prefer to avail of these because they are relatively inexpensive. Some can even be made at home, which is a boon to those who have precious little funds to spare.

Sad to say, way too many candidates go over the top where their materials are concerned.

The bets and their followers tend to plaster their announcements all over the place, effectively defacing the environment. Such candidates have come to be known as “epals,” short for the Filipino word “mapapel.”

The latter is itself a creation of Pinoy pop culture. This is inexplicable to young Filipinos who know only that the root word of “mapapel” is “papel” the Filipino word for paper from the Spanish “papel” but don’t also know that “papel” in Spanish (and also in Filipino) also means “role.”

“Epaliticians” are, therefore, the candidates who are “role credeit grabbers.” They believe that there is no such thing as good taste where election materials are concerned. They would think nothing of blanketing vast areas with their images, and the accomplishments they claim to have achieved – exaggerated, of course—during their about-to-expire term of office.

Monster champions of overkill
Those who are only dreaming of winning an elective position, on the other hand, can only make promises, mostly motherhood statements of what they plan to do if the voters deign them worthy of the seat they aspire for.

None of them believe, or even understand, the meaning of the word overkill—of which they are the monster champions. Yet this is precisely what they do when they remind motorists and pedestrians alike that they are offering their services to the public via their ubiquitous election paraphernalia.

Whether running for senator, congressman, mayor, governor or councilor, the vast majority of candidates believe that there is nothing wrong with their defacing every empty spot anywhere in the country with their materials. Some will admit that it is a necessary evil that they have to resort to in order to be elected.

The Commission on Elections has long been waging a losing war to try to force the candidates to limit their expenses, and therefore election paraphernalia, to reasonable levels. While the law stipulates limits on how much a candidate may spend, no one takes that law seriously. No winning candidate in recent memory has been unseated because of overspending.

And while the Comelec is hard-pressed to enforce the law on allowable election expenditures, it has absolutely no control on what kind of material is acceptable.

Were there a law defining and requiring good taste in the creation of propaganda material, we daresay that most of the candidates would be found guilty of breaking that law. Sadly, there is no such law. And if there were one it would also be unenforced like so many in our country.

Epaliticians are also trapos
Between now and election day next year, the general public has little choice but to grin and bear the non-stop assault on their senses by today”s epaliticians.

It is worth noting that another word was coined not too long ago to describe today”s epaliticians: trapo.

The Filipino word trapo actually means cleaning rag. But it is also a combination of the first syllables of the words “traditional politician.” Today”s politicians are mostly dirt rags at heart, even if they are dressed in suits or barongs. They suddenly become more accessible to the public during election season, and for some odd reason, they all claim to be pro-God, pro-life, and pro-Filipino.

Their photoshopped faces on their tarps give them the kindly look of an approachable big brother or sister. But as election day nears, their infuriating paraphernalia will swamp the land sending the obvious signal that they will do and say anything to get elected. The wealthier candidates will even become extremely generous by handing out wads of cash to their supporters, or anyone who is willing to help distribute their materials.

Still, anyone who wants to take revenge on the irritating politicos can do so by the simple step of not voting for them. They may even go further. They can lobby with their friends and relatives to avoid those candidates like the plague. And for those who are active on social media, they can go even further by expressing just how angry they are at the visual pollution that the epaliticians have foisted on the public.

Of course, they would have to take care not to break the libel laws as stated in the Anti-Cybercrime Law. At least, they have the Supreme Court to thank for issuing a temporary restraining order on the unpopular new law.

All candidates, epal or otherwise, know that they are engaged in a marketing effort to convince the electorate to vote for them. But those who resort to over-the-top marketing tactics like flooding the market with their horrendous materials should realize that no one appreciates them.