Bonus/Penalty as action's effect (L5R rules board)

A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.

A player, 7 August 2010

My question: When an action says, for example "Target a Personality: Give him -2F.", the effect of an action is a force penalty or giving a force penalty?

Maybe now I'll explain the whole situation. It is about Toshi Ranbo.

I gave some force bonus/penalty from a political action (for example Discreet Retreat) durning battle on TR's province. Can my opponent negate it with cards like Justly Earned Victory or Yari attached to his personality?

Toshi Ranbo: During battles at this province's battlefield, effects of Political actions will not be negated. Discreet Retreat: Political Battle: Move your target Courtier home: Give a target Personality +4F or -4F. Justly Earned Victory: Battle: Negate all current Force bonuses and penalties to cards at this battlefield from actions. Yari:Reaction: After an action targets this Personality: Negate all Force penalties on this Personality from the action.

A player, 8 August 2010

Discreet Retreat's Battle action is Political so, if it is used to give a penalty of -4F, this penalty will not be negated during battles at Toshi Ranbo's province's battlefield, neither by Justly Earned Victory nor by Yari, because it is an effect of that Political action (it is written in the ability's effects block; see Card features, Abilities).