UNA: LP bets behind in surveys despite head start

MANILA, Philippines - Despite their early campaigning, the senatorial bets of the Liberal Party (LP) are lagging behind in surveys, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) secretary-general Toby Tiangco said yesterday.

Tiangco made the observation in reaction to President Aquino’s statement in Cebu on Wednesday that the candidates of the other parties need to engage in early campaigning because they have many things to prove.

Tiangco said the LP-led coalition has been airing political ads and conducting provincial sorties way before the candidates of UNA.

“We believe that the President may have been grossly misinformed by his own party. As a matter of fact, it is LP that needed a boost that’s why some of their presumed candidates were among the very first ones to have their ads aired on TV. They have been making provincial rounds as early as August last year – not us,” Tiangco said.

He added UNA was “amused” by the reference to early campaigning during a political event.

“With all due respect to the President, we find it amusing that he would take issue with our supposed early campaigning during a political event organized by the LP and attended by some of the LP coalition candidates whom he asked the public to support,” Tiangco said.

Despite this, UNA and non-LP bets are doing well in the surveys compared to original LPs.

“LP is facing an inconvenient truth. UNA senatorial bets, together with non-LPs, are leading in the surveys and not even one original LP candidate made it to the Magic 12. So, it’s not UNA that needs to catch up and prove themselves. It is actually the Liberal Party that has more to prove,” he said.

Tiangco said the LP can spin the facts in whatever way they wanted, but there is no getting around the truth that their candidates are the ones who need to catch up.

From the latest surveys, Tiangco said the LP senatorial bets failed to improve in their current rankings.

“If LP thinks that the service they are doing is already satisfactory, then let the surveys speak. UNA is committed to raising the level of public service. That’s what our people deserve. Public service is UNA’s core value and our continuing commitment to the people,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco admitted UNA is indeed at a disadvantage given the resources and influence the administration party has at its disposal.

“We remain worried because LP has the government as its machinery. They have the resources, including the power to harass political enemies like (suspended Cebu) Gov. Gwen Garcia. But despite these, our candidates have been dominating the surveys,” he said.

Tiangco, however, thanked President Aquino for making a free endorsement of UNA’s television ad.

“We can’t thank the President enough for mentioning our TV ad. We now expect the ad to generate high traffic on YouTube and become viral on Facebook,” Tiangco said.