Jun 212013
 

MANILA, June 20 (Mabuhay) — The country’s influential and powerful families poured in the most money for the two major political parties during the latest midterm elections, a cursory look at their expenditure reports filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) shows. The Liberal Party received P183.2 million in contributions. The United Nationalist Alliance meanwhile […]

May 282013
 

MANILA (Mabuhay) – The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) thanked its supporters during the elections and promised “we cannot fail the Filipino people.” This, as it said it will expose at the proper time the “practices of the past [that] are still very much a part of our system.” It said that at the beginning of […]

May 012013
 
PNoy not conducting loyalty checks on LP members, says spokesperson

President Benigno Aquino III is not out to check if his allies in the provinces will support the entire administration slate in the upcoming midterm polls, his spokesperson said Wednesday. In a phone patch interview, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda denied a statement from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), the administration’s rival coalition in this year’s elections, that the President is already conducting loyalty checks on Liberal Party members on the ground. “Wala hong loyalty check po na nangyayari ngayon. I think they’re just deflecting the issues right now on the performance of the Team UNA candidates vis-à-vis the Team PNoy candidates based on the surveys that have just been released,” Lacierda said. He added that the President is satisfied with the performance of administration candidates in recent surveys. On Tuesday, UNA campaign manager Tobias Tiangco came out with the statement accusing LP of being “jumpy and paranoid” in the last few weeks leading up to the elections. Aquino chairs the ruling Liberal Party. “Loyalty checks are a sign of desperation and panic. Hindi nila kayang kontrolin ang mga leader nilang sumusuporta sa UNA,” Tiangco said. He attributed the supposed “undue pressure” being exerted by the ruling party on its allies to Albay Governor Joey Salceda’s move to meet with UNA candidates in his province over the weekend. Salceda heads the LP in the Bicol Region. Lacierda countered Tiangco’s claims by saying that the LP has “no reason to panic,” since it has the upper hand in the senatorial race based Read More …

Apr 102013
 
Binay skips UNA rallies to lead PH exhibit of pre-colonial art in Paris

By Jerry E. Esplanada Philippine Daily Inquirer 9:57 pm | Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay had no choice but skip several United Nationalist Alliance campaign sorties this week for representing President Benigno Aquino III in the April 8 opening of the “Philippines: Archipel des Exchanges (or Archipelago of Exchanges),” the country’s first-ever grand culture exhibit in Paris, the world’s cultural capital. Binay “opened (on Monday) the exhibit at the Musee du Qua Branly,” or the Branly musuem in the French capital, said the Department of Foreign Affairs. Citing a report from the Philippine embassy in the French capital, the DFA said on Wednesday the exhibit has been featuring “more than 300 essential works of pre-colonial Filipino art selected from both public and private collections in the Philippines, Europe and the United States.” The event will run from April 9 to July 14, 2013, according to the mission. The embassy quoted Binay as having thanked the French government for the “opportunity to showcase the Philippines’ pre-colonial art in the Branly museum.” “We are proud to share with France and the rest of the world our collection of pre-colonial  art, including four of our priceless national treasures and more than 300 ancient artifacts assembled from public and private collections, giving a glimpse of the Filipino soul in ancient times and the diversity and richness of Philippine culture and tradition,” he said. In his remarks during the exhibit opening rites, Binay pointed Read More …

Feb 252013
 
No sanction for Loren, Chiz, Grace Poe if they join UNA sorties, says Team PNoy spokesman

Senator Loren Legarda (screenshot courtesy of www.liberalparty.org.ph ) Senator Francis Escudero (screenshot courtesy of www.liberalparty.org.ph) former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board head Grace Poe-Llamanzares (screenshot courtesy of www.liberalparty.org.ph) MANILA  (Mabuhay) — Team PNoy will not sanction its three candidates – reelectionist senators Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board head Grace Poe-Llamanzares – if they join the sorties of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Team PNoy spokesman Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone on Monday said it would be the three candidates’ judgement call if they also want to join the rallies of UNA, which adopted them as candidates. Evardone said it was lamentable that UNA was making a big issue out of the non-appearance of Legarda, Escudero, and Poe during its proclamation rally in Cebu last week. He said UNA only wanted to “drive a wedge and sow intrigue” among the members of the Team PNoy senatorial slate. He said the administration would not impose sanctions on the three candidates should they decide to join the stage with other UNA bets. But Evardone said the electorate would prefer a consistent campaign among senatorial bets. (MNS)

Feb 202013
 
UNA drops Chiz, Loren, Grace Poe as candidates

In a statement, Navotas Rep. and UNA secretary general Tobias Tiangco said the UNA “is no longer obligated to include the names of Chiz Escudero, Loren Legarda and Grace Poe-Llamanzares in its list of candidates.” Tiangco’s statement came a week after UNA said it will no longer campaign for its three guest candidates who will not physically show up in the coalition’s sorties. Tiangco said they tried their best to “accommodate the three candidates but that they were aware how the Liberal Party, through campaign manager Senator Franklin Drilon, has repeatedly warned them against joining their election activities.” “We would have wanted and were looking forward to having them join our nine UNA candidates in our rallies and sorties. Unfortunately, none of them have taken any concrete move or extended any meaningful gesture to assure us that they will live up to their commitments,” he said. He likewise said “public statements have been made by at least one of them ruling out participation in UNA events.” “It is clear that they have made up their minds. We need to move on,” Tiangco said. For his part, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, LP campaign spokesperson, said UNA’s decision to drop the three senatorial candidates was already “forthcoming.” “We are not surprised by the decision of UNA. Now, the lines are very clear between the reformists and the opposition. At least the people will now have a clear choice,” Evardone said in a text message. During the proclamation rallies last week, Escudero, Legarda Read More …

Feb 182013
 
Chiz, Grace, Loren already made their choice: Tañada

Liberal Party (LP) chairman President Benigno S. Aquino III and the Senatorial candidates flashes the Laban sign as Noel Cabangon performs “Ako’y Isang Mabuting Pilipino” during the Team PNoy Senate Campaign Launch at the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila City on Tuesday (February 12, 2013). The administration candidates for the midterm elections are Aurora Lone District Representative Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, former National Youth Commission (NYC) chairperson Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, former Akbayan Partylist Representative Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel, Senators Alan Peter “Compañero” Cayetano and Francis Joseph “Chiz” Escudero, former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairperson Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Senator Loren Legarda, former Senators Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal and Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., Senators Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III and Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, and former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar. Team PNoy is the coalition of the Liberal Party (LP), Nacionalista Party (NP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) and the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party (Akbayan). The latest survey shows the Filipinos’ high preference for Team PNoy senatorial candidates is an indication of their confidence to President Aquino and his team. (MNS photo) MANILA, Feb 14 (Mabuhay) -– The spokesperson of the Liberal Party on Thursday said common candidates Grace Poe, Senator Francis Escudero and Senator Loren Legarda have made their choice on which slate to join in the May 2013 election. “Nag-desisyon na sila. They appeared sa proclamation rally, sa Batangas sortie, nandoon sila. Mamaya sa Laguna, kasama sila ulit. Tingin Read More …

Feb 122013
 
UNA may drop Chiz as candidate after proclamation rally snub

(Updated 12:30 p.m.) TAGBILARAN CITY — The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) may drop re-electionist Senator Francis Escudero as its guest candidate if he continues to snub its sorties, Vice President and coalition stalwart Jejomar Binay said Wednesday. Binay said Escudero is “likely” to be removed as UNA senatorial bet if he repeatedly fails to show up or send a representative to the coalition’s political rally, similar to what happened during the coalition’s kickoff sortie in Cebu on Tuesday night. “Sa sitwasyon ngayon, kami naman ang kawawa sa usapan na ito. Siya, dinadala natin, pero paano naman kami?” Binay told reporters. He added that Escudero will be given the chance to make up for his absence in UNA’s first official sortie, since the senator has already made a commitment to attend future political rallies of the coalition. “Alam mo naman na may usapan na sila ay sasama sa sortie naming paminsan-minsan. Tingnan natin kung darating na sila… In fairness to him [Escudero], he requested to attend the LP [Liberal Party] sortie,” Binay said. In a text message to GMA News Online, Escudero said he was not able send a representative to UNA’s rally like his fellow common candidates Sen. Loren Legarda and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares for obvious reasons. “Di tulad ni Loren, wala na akong tatay. At di tulad ni Grace, five years old pa lang mga anak ko. Sent a video message but they decided not to show it,” he said. Read More …

Jan 292013
 
Loren, Chiz, Grace Poe won’t appear in UNA ads

Although they are considered as common candidates of the two major coalitions in the 2013 polls, former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chief Grace Poe-Llamazares and re-electionist Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda will not appear in political advertisements of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). At a press conference Tuesday, Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, one of the administration’s campaign spokesmen, said the three common candidates already had an agreement with the ruling Liberal Party (LP)’s leadership not to join UNA’s campaign. “I think that has already been answered. We will not allow the three common candidates in UNA’s political ads. This has been clear. Kung lalabas kayo dito sa ad namin, dapat dito lang,” Tañada said. Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, another administration campaign spokesman, meanwhile said that Poe, Escudero and Legarda were not barred to appear in UNA’s ads, but the three consented in campaigning only with the administration slate. “All the candidates are mature enough to make decisions. It’s not a matter na may pinagbawalan o hindi, but there was a specific agreement among mature political leaders na we need to be consistent on the message,” Quimbo said at the same press briefing. All three common candidates appeared in the administration’s first political advertisement for the 2013 polls, which was launched on Monday. They, however, were not included in the UNA ad, which aired earlier this month. Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, LP secretary-general, earlier said that President Benigno Aquino III himself asked Legarda not to Read More …