Puyat family files complaint against ad agency behind viral 'Gil Tulog Avenue' signs

The family of late Senator Gil Puyat filed a complaint with the Ad Standards Council against the advertising agency involved in the replacement of Gil Puyat Avenue signs to "Gil Tulog Avenue" in Makati.

GMA News reported that Puyat's son Victor said in the complaint letter that the firm violated the Code of Ethics of the council. The document showed that the family is seeking for the suspension or banning of the ad agency from the body and is hoping that it will "be given due sanction for disregarding the Code of Ethics and Standards."

As stated in Section 1, Article IV, advertisements "shall not directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural or juridical person, group of persons, or any sector of society based on gender, social, cultural or economic status, religion, ethnicity, physical, intellectual and psychological state or appearance, age, race, or nationality."

According to a report by ABS-CBN News, Victor said the marketing gimmick is "foolish and insulting at the same time, but most of all I felt bad people can now do anything in total disrespect for somebody who has served the country so well."

Puyat's granddaughter Erika Puyat Lontok, in a Facebook post, said, "Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful!'' 

This comes after photos and videos of the said signs made the rounds on social media on Thursday, July 25, garnering mixed reactions from Internet users. While some joked about Gil Puyat Avenue finally getting a “much-needed rest,” others found it disrespectful to the late Senate President who served in the Senate from 1951 to 1973. There are also some who said it could cause confusion to motorists in the area.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay, in a statement released the following day, July 26, said the request to replace the signs in the city did not reach her office and stressed that it would have been easily rejected if it did. According to her, the city officials who granted such permission “should have exercised prudence” and “should have been more thorough.” They have been reprimanded "for this glaring oversight," Binay said.

Wellspring, the brand that was being advertised in the campaign, has issued a public apology for the "misstep" in their promotion.

"We recognize and deeply regret the insensitivity of our execution and we offer our sincerest apologies to the Puyat family, the Makati City government, and the public," it said in a Facebook post. "We have learned from this mistake and are committed to doing better."