PHNO-HL: CIRCUS COMES TO COMELEC / LIST OF SENATE HOPEFULS AS OF OCT. 3, 2012

CIRCUS COMES TO COMELEC / LIST OF SENATE HOPEFULS AS OF OCT.
3, 2012

[PHOTO - UNA HOPEFULS The senatorial candidates of the United
Nationalist Alliance show their certificates of candidacy. From left: Cagayan
Rep. Jack Enrile, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Margarita
"Ting-ting" Cojuangco, Ernesto Maceda, Richard Gordon, reelectionist Sen.
Gregorio Honasan and Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay. Seated in front are: Senate
President Juan Ponce Enrile, Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President
Joseph "Erap" Estrada. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA]
MANILA, OCTOBER 8, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Tarra Quismundo, Jocelyn
R. Uy - UNA first to file candidacies but only 8 showed up
All the festive hoopla of a street party could very well be a plus for the
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Monday as it officially fielded its
candidates in the Senate race next year, except they were minus one in the
effort.
Businessman Joey de Venecia (photo) pulled out at the last
minute from the coalition slate, although this hardly reflected on the
excitement outside the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the first day of the
filing of certificates of candidacy (COC).
UNA's "B 3"—Vice President Jejomar Binay, former President Joseph Estrada and
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile—led eight senatorial contenders in filing
their COCs, unfazed by a last-minute glitch in its lineup.
Sen. Gregorio Honasan, Representatives Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, Juan
"Jack" Ponce Enrile Jr. and Milagros "Mitos" Magsaysay, former Senators Ernesto
Maceda, Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon, and former Tarlac Gov. Tingting
Cojuangco filed their COCs past 1 p.m. in a carnival atmosphere in the heart of
Intramuros.

Street
spectacle
Three candidates whom UNA shared with the ruling coalition—Senators Francis
"Chiz" Escudero and Loren Legarda, and Movie and Television Review and
Classification Board Chairperson Grace Poe Llamanzares—did not appear for the
filing.
That the three candidates, who are also guest candidates of the ruling
Liberal Party (LP) and the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) coalition, were
absent and the slate lost its 12th member, De Venecia, just hours earlier did
not seem to matter as UNA gave a preview of how its rallies would be come
campaign season next year: loud and upbeat in the colors of orange and blue.

Life will be good
The eight-candidate slate, along with Binay, Estrada and Enrile, first
assembled at the Manila Hotel before noon and rode together to the Comelec
aboard a violet Binay coaster shortly.
Within minutes, the fast-moving convoy arrived at the main Comelec office to
the cheers of hundreds of supporters. Competing beats filled the air: a drum and
bugle band played Binay's 2010 campaign theme "Kay Binay, Gaganda ang Buhay
(With Binay, life will be good)," while an Ati-Atihan ensemble and even a dragon
dance group thumped their traditional beats.
"It's a very light, jovial mood. We are very confident of having a formidable
team and a very good chance of taking most of the seats in the 2013 elections,"
Ejercito, Estrada's son, said in an interview.
"I am confident now that our big three are here. With these people behind us,
the support is already there, it gives us courage and a morale boost," Ejercito
told reporters.
Supporters from Valenzuela, San Juan, Olongapo City and Makati City, among
others, occupied the street across the Comelec office, holding up placards and
chanting the names of their candidates. Curiously, while different groups
shouted names of their respective candidates, none chanted the coalition's name.

Apart from posters and banners traditionally seen in campaigns, some
candidates found unique ways of getting their names out there.
Just alternatives
Magsaysay went beyond the printed matter and deployed walking ads —an
advertising medium one would usually see promoting consumer products.
Legarda did not join the UNA group but made her presence felt with Ati-Atihan
dancers who carried placards that spelled her name. She filed her COC
separately, when the UNA group had already left. She later visited Binay at his
office at the Coconut Palace.
Ahead of the campaign period, Ejercito said he hoped campaigns of both UNA
and the ruling coalition would not stray from issues that mattered to the
public.
"I'm just hoping that the campaign will be high level, based on the platform
and track record," Ejercito said.
"Besides, we're not really what you would call a real opposition, unlike
during the time of GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo). We're just
presenting ourselves as alternatives for the people," he said.
No-shows irk Binay
The absence of Legarda, Escudero and Llamanzares did not sit well with Binay,
leader of the UNA coalition of his PDP-Laban and Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang
Pilipino.
"What shall be done and shall not be done must also apply with UNA [and vice
versa]," Binay told reporters.
"If they will join the [rallies] of the Liberal Party, they should also join
us or else we might as well part ways," Binay said, stressing "fair is fair."

For her part, Legarda said she had not heard Binay say anything about UNA's
withdrawal of support should she appear in the LP rallies.
"The Vice President knows that the President invited me personally to be in
the LP slate because the NPC and the LP have a partnership. It was all done with
transparency with the Vice President and former President Estrada as well,"
Legarda said in an interview with reporters after filing her COC at the Comelec.

She added that Mr. Aquino also knew that she was first invited by UNA as
guest candidate when he asked her to join the LP slate. Next week, other parties
would also adopt her as guest candidate, she disclosed.
"[Being a common candidate] is a happy but delicate situation," she said.
"But it reflects on the winnability of the candidate."
When asked which political party would she join come the election campaign
period, she safely answered, "I will go where the Filipino people are."
FROM GMA NEWS
List of Senate hopefuls as of Oct. 3, 2012
A total of 37 people have so far filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs)
for senator with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) head office in Manila as
of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The filing of COCs will end on Friday at 5 p.m. The Comelec is expected to
release the final list of candidates in December. The campaign period for
senators will commence in February.

The senatorial hopefuls are:

As of October 1 (Monday)

1. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III (PDP-Laban, re-electionist)
2. Anicio Escosura (independent)
3. Daniel Magtira (nominated by "Lady Imelda Marcos" & "Cong. Carlo
Lopez")
4. Aeric Bernardino (independent)
5. Melchor Chavez (KBL)
6. Salam Lacan Lusong Tagean (independent)
7. Patrocinio Cailingi (independent)
8. Juanito Donato (independent)
9. Oliver Lozano (KBL)
10. Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. (NPC/UNA)
11. Sen. Gregorio Honasan (UNA, re-electionist)
12. Juan Miguel Zubiri (PMP/UNA)
13. Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito (PMP/UNA)
14. Ernesto Maceda (PMP/UNA)
15. Richard Gordon (UNA)
16. Rep. Maria Milgaros Magsaysay (UNA)
17. Margarita Cojuangco (UNA)
18. Merlito Lagata (independent)
19. Sen. Loren Legarda (NPC, re-electionist)
20. Remelyn Ajel (independent)

As of October 2 (Tuesday)

21. Sen. Francis Escudero (independent, re-electionist)
22. Valeriano Nocon III (independent)
23. Cynthia Villar (NP)
24. Catalino Dazo (independent)
25. Eduardo Fernandez (independent)
26. Grace Poe-Llamenzares (independent)
27. Johnny Cris Sy (independent)

As of October 3 (Wednesday)

28. Ricardo Penson (independent)
29. Teddy Casiño (Makabayan)
30. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (NP, re-electionist)
31. Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara (LDP)
32. Ericson Rojas (independent)
33. Rebecca Santosidad (independent)
34. Victor Lawag (independent)
35. Ramon Montano (independent)
36. Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn (independent)
37. Orlando Suerte (independent)
— Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet

This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.

To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/

(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/