UNA blasts LP bets as ‘political hypocrites’

By Angie M. Rosales and Charlie V. Manalo

Real foes in 2013 not alliance by hunger and poverty’

Election fever is definitely in the air as the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) fired its opening salvo, hitting former allies of the previous administration who had easily changed political colors in a single flick of their fingers and now allied with President Aquino.

In a statement, UNA secretary general Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco scored former allies of former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who had shifted allegiance so easily as if they were simply changing a new piece of clothing, and who are now professing blind allegiance to Aquino and presenting themselves as reformers.

“They are political hypocrites who are now attempting to recast themselves as true-blue believers in reform and good governance,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco added these personalities were among those who had ridiculed the candidacy of Fernando Poe Jr.

“They are mostly the ones who ridiculed the candidacy of FPJ but have now found it politically convenient to wear yellow and proclaim themselves as advocates of Tuwid na Daan. These political hypocrites know who they are,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco added these personalities were among those who killed the impeachment complaint filed against Mrs. Arroyo, yet now they are part of the administration, mouthing honesty and reforms.

Tiangco took a dig at Sen. Franklin Drilon, LP campaign manager, without however, naming him, as he said there was that one Gloria ally who is remembered for his statement to her, saying he was ready to protect  Mrs. Arroyo in his province, if Metro Manilans no longer want her. That’s the kind of support he gave Mrs. Arroyo, yet today, he portrays himself as clean and a reformist.

In contrast, Tiangco said most of the leaders and members of UNA have proven their commitment to truth, freedom, and good governance.

“We do not want to take away their right to choose whom they want to align with. They are very free to choose the group they want to be with, but with us in UNA, what is important is that we agree to unite for the interest and the betterment of the people,” he added.

He said criticisms should be taken as part of responsible vigilance.

“If there is anyone among us who raises criticisms, it is only meant to straighten what we believe is wrong and not for anything else,” Tiangco said.

“This is not wrong. This is part of democracy. If there are differences in opinion, our goal is only one: To usher in reforms to provide a better life for the Filipinos,” he added.

Tiangco said most of the leaders and members of UNA have proven their commitment to truth, freedom, and good governance.

“UNA is a coalition of two major political parties whose support for the reform agenda of President Aquino is beyond question,” he said.

Tiangco also said the real opponent in 2013 is not the coalition but “poverty and hunger.”

“We are not obstructionist critics. We will support and commend programs and policies that will benefit our people. But we will also point out shortcomings and misguided policies. This we owe to the people,” said Tiangco.

“We believe that the reform agenda of the President is best served not by blind obedience but by responsible vigilance. We must make sure that the abuse of power for personal and political ends and the widespread corruption and misuse of public funds during the previous regime will not be repeated,” he added.

The UNA statement was obviously a reaction to Aquino’s statement two days ago when he announced the full senatorial slate of the administration, saying, without mentioning UNA, that, as he is treading the right path, the opposition cannot be treading the right path, as those who are not with him are against him.

He also said that while there may be some candidates in the opposition who agree with him and his policies, he also said that there are many among the candidates of UNA who do nothing but criticize him.

In a related development, a day after having filed her certificate of candidacy, UNA senatorial bet, Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay is now looking forward to the campaign period saying UNA is now ready to launch an honest and decent campaign come February and she hopes other parties are ready to do so as well.

“I am sincerely hoping that dirty tactics and the personality based politics will already stop so that the people can decide based on the merits and credentials of the candidates,” said Magsaysay.

“Our voters are smarter now, and we need to give them credit for making their choices based on performance rather than association.”

It can be recalled that the lady lawmaker was a victim of personal attacks when her legitimacy as a true Magsaysay was questioned early in the year by an opposing party member owing to the fact that she was a Magsaysay by marriage only and not by birth.

“All I can say is that I may not have been born a Magsaysay, but I was welcomed into the family, and that throughout my career have done my best to do the family name proud. I may not be a Magsaysay by birth but I am a public servant by deed, which what I believe the surname stands for. You can ask anyone from the 1st district of Zambales and they can be the judge,” the Zambales solon said.

Magsaysay said that under the UNA slate, she seeks to become a fiscalizer in the national government as there are still many issues that need to be threshed out in order to institute genuine reforms.

“If there are only a few voices in the Senate that will question and the rest will merely say yes to everything that the administration wants, then we will be doing the public an injustice because not all angles are given focus and that flaws are not corrected before they go any further,” said Magsaysay.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III yesterday said he’s holding on to the Palace’s pronouncements that no government funds will be tapped to bankroll the candidacy of the senatorial bets running under the ruling Liberal Party-led coalition in the coming 2013 mid-term polls.

“The reason some candidates like to be (running under) the administration party is that they think that the (campaign) funds are available in the administration. But the big thing is, we already heard the announcement of the Palace that they will not be using any government funds for the campaign of their 12 senatorial candidates. I will take their word for it,” Sotto said in a phone-patched interview with Senate beat reporters.

The upper chamber leader allayed fears over the designation of colleague, Senator  Drilon, Senate finance committee chair, as the “campaign manager” of the LP-led coalition.

Drilon said he was asked by President Aquino last week to help in the campaign “and I accepted the challenge.”

Sotto said he does not see any cause for alarm over Drilon’s impending role in the campaign of the administration’s senatorial bets.

“I know that he has been a very good chairman of finance, I don’t think he will commit any abuses. The promise made by the administration, I will take their word for it,” the senator who has volunteered to act as campaign manager of his colleague and known close personal friend, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, said.

Honasan is seeking reelection under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) while Sotto is a stalwart of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) which is currently aligned with LP alongside the Nacionalista Party (NP).

The majority leader said the matter of the lawmakers’ so-called pork barrel being released by Malacañang to form part of the administration’s campaign kitty is not feasible as the matter of enacting the general appropriations act (GAA), which will be sponsored by Drilon in the upper chamber, does not allocate such funds for election purposes.

“Whether it’s election year or not, that is the practice. The moment that the finance chair modifies the system, he will be held accountable. Nonetheless, we should also be vigilant (in the government’s disposition of funds),” he said.

Meanwhile, having former known nemesis and critic in the Senate, returning Sen. Jamby Madrigal, in the same senatorial slate of the administration-led coalition, is something that members of the NP had to put up with in agreeing to align with the LP and Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said it’s a compromise that their party struck with the LP, allowing the NP to choose their own candidates in order to seal the coalition.

“So out of the 12 (slots) three came from Nacionalista (NP). That is part of the setup.

“When the Liberal Party accepted us, that’s what we had to deal with. Do we like everyone in the administration? We like some better than others but it’s not up to us to choose the other nine candidates. As far as we’re concerned, we were given free reign to choose for our own party. We would have wanted four, but in the end since there were a lot who wanted to run, we chose three,” the senator explained to reporters Monday, during the administration coalition’s proclamation of its senatorial ticket at Club Filipino in Greenhills.

Cayetano provided the explanation as to how the inclusion of Madrigal in the senatorial slate was made possible considering the “clash” in the past, during the latter part of the 14th Congress, between NP president Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. and Madrigal.

The minority leader, an NP member, was among the staunch defenders of Villar then and had, in some instances, exchanged barbs with Madrigal.

In finding himself, Villar’s wife, former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar and fellow reelectionist Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV running in the same banner as Madrigal, Cayetano emphasized that no principle was compromised.

Insofar as principles and stand on certain issues are concerned, Cayetano assured there will be no changes as far as the ranks of NP are concerned.