Sen. Loren Legarda has backed the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (Department of the Interior and Local Government) renewed push to remove the names, images, and likenesses of public officials from government-funded projects, calling it a crucial step toward ending political credit-grabbing and restoring integrity in public service.

Legarda welcomed the DILG memorandum ordering all levels of government to strip personal branding from billboards, markers, tarpaulins, vehicles, and other properties funded by taxpayers’ money, saying it reinforces the principle that public office is a trust, not a platform for self-promotion.

“Public office is a public trust. Public funds are for public service, not for personal publicity,” Legarda said.

She stressed that every peso of public funds carries a moral obligation to serve the people, warning that diverting resources to self-promotional materials deprives communities of essential services.

“What should have been allocated to education, nutrition, healthcare, livelihood, and essential social services is instead squandered on vanity projects that serve no one but the officials themselves,” Legarda said. “This is not simply the misuse of public funds for personal gain. It is theft from the people, a betrayal of trust. If that is not ‘epal’ in its truest sense, I do not know what is.”

Legarda noted that even without an enabling law, government agencies have repeatedly acted against the practice through administrative issuances. In 2010, the DILG prohibited billboards and signage bearing officials’ names or images on government projects. In 2013, the Commission on Audit declared such practices improper and disallowed them as unnecessary expenditures. In 2019, the DILG reiterated that local officials should refrain from appearing during the distribution of government programs. The General Appropriations Act of 2026 further prohibited public officials and politicians from influencing or participating in the distribution of government aid.

“These measures show a consistent recognition that self-promotion undermines public trust. But without a permanent law, these safeguards remain vulnerable,” Legarda said.

To address this gap, the senator said she filed Senate Bill 1716, or the Anti-Epal Act, which seeks to consolidate existing safeguards into a permanent statute. The proposed measure prohibits public officials from affixing their names, images, or personal identifiers on government programs and projects to ensure public resources are used solely for public benefit.

The bill also proposes the creation of Anti-Epal Desks to monitor compliance, receive complaints, and enforce penalties. Legarda said empowering citizens to report violations is key to eradicating the practice.

“We can only stop this practice if we put in place reporting mechanisms for the general public. The citizens themselves must be able to call out and report violations,” she said.

Legarda acknowledged that the practice has become deeply ingrained in politics, but warned against accepting it as normal.

“We have all witnessed this scheme, time and again. The longer we allow it, the deeper it takes root. Familiarity must never breed acceptance,” she said.

“End it now, do not perpetuate it. If we nip it at the bud, if we refuse to water it, if we refuse to romanticize it, then it will wither and die on its own,” she added.

The senator also commended DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla for holding agency heads accountable for compliance with the directive and for encouraging citizens to report violations through DILG channels and other complaint mechanisms. She stressed that accountability must be enforced across all levels of government, from national agencies down to barangays.

“When officials step back from the spotlight and allow programs to speak for themselves, we honor the people who pay for every kilometer of road, every classroom, and every relief pack distributed,” Legarda said.

She concluded by reminding public servants that leadership should be measured by impact, not visibility.

“Hindi nasusukat ang mahusay na pamumuno sa dami ng tarpaulin o laki ng pangalan; nasusukat ito sa tapat na paglilingkod at malasakit na ramdam ng bayan. Ang pamumuno ay nakikita sa gawa, hindi sa mukha.”