It’s final: Kiko to go it alone

Re-electionist Sen. Francis Pangilinan finally made clear where he stood yesterday, and it was not with the opposition.

Declaring himself an independent, Pangilinan formally turned down the offer of the Genuine Opposition (GO) to join the as coalition as its guest candidate.

Pangilinan told a news conference that from the start, he had made it clear that he would run as an independent candidate as a matter of "principle."

"It is really an issue of principle. It is not unique for us not to be included in one party. Even before and until now, I already decided that I will run as an independent candidate. So we can put that issue aside now," he said.

GO spokesman Adel Tamano said they respect Pangilinan’s decision to spurn their offer.

"If he really doesn’t want to join us, we will no longer campaign for him," Tamano said.

GO senatorial candidate Francis Escudero confirmed the coalition has dropped Pangilinan from their slate.

Escudero revealed GO has come out with a position to drop Pangilinan from the slate but there wasn’t any rush to name a replacement.

"We would have wanted him to be part of the team but his adamant refusal to even join us in the proclamation rally (at Plaza Miranda) broke the camel’s back… Having said that, we still look forward to work with him in other opportunities or issues," he said.

Pangilinan said he does not want to be identified as a "political butterfly," or a politician who always transfers to another party or affiliation only to pursue his political interests.

"Switching to GO or Team Unity is the easiest thing to do. But I will not be consistent, I will not be true to my principles," he stressed.

He said he was surprised by GO’s declaration to adopt him as their guest candidate despite his repeated pronouncements of going independent.

Pangilinan said he wanted to join a "Third Force," or an alternative slate that is neither associated with the administration or the opposition.

"It is not (part of) my plan to join the GO. I preferred to be part of the Third Force, but it did not happen because there was no Third Force created. So, I decided to become independent," he said.

Pangilinan claimed GO must have decided "in the last minute" to adopt him as one of its candidates.

He noted the apparent difficulty of GO to come up with a complete slate as some noted opposition figures have disassociated themselves from the group.

Sources revealed Pangilinan was apprehensive about joining the opposition because he does not want to be identified with former President Joseph Estrada.

Pangilinan presided over the national canvassing of ballots in the 2004 elections, whose results were bitterly contested by the opposition and supporters of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr.

He said it would be up to the voters if they appreciate his effort to distance himself from Estrada.

"I don’t know whether it is plus or a minus. (But) I consider it as a plus factor. It is more of wanting to be consistent with my stand. It has everything to do with my stand and not campaign with them. In terms of my credibility, that is up to the people to decide," Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan stressed that joining the administration’s Team Unity would also be inconsistent with his principles.

"I cannot be with GO because I joined the call for President Estrada’s ouster in 2001, and I cannot be with the administration’s Team Unity because I and other Liberal Party leaders called for President Arroyo’s resignation in July 2005," he said.

He stressed that he cannot turn his back on the stand he had taken on previous issues and join a particular ticket for convenience just to win in May.

But Pangilinan declared he may join GO in their collective stand on various issues, citing the Melo Commission report on its investigation of unexplained killings in the country.

‘Excess baggage’

Escudero added that GO’s remaining 11 candidates have gotten used to campaigning without Pangilinan, even branding the independent senator as "excess baggage."

The Liberal Party, on the other hand, expressed full support for Pangilinan to go independent.

LP president Sen. Franklin Drilon said the party and all its local chapters nationwide will work to ensure the victory of Pangilinan.

Drilon said Pangilinan’s "strong sense of independence should serve as an inspiration to our youth."

Pangilinan has been the center of controversy after failing to attend the opposition’s proclamation rally at Plaza Miranda last Saturday.

Asked if he considers Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. a political turncoat, Pangilinan said his Senate boss is in a different situation.

"Senator Villar did not call for President Arroyo’s resignation," he said.

Villar, though declaring himself as an independent like Pangilinan, has chosen to be identified with GO.

Villar said he could not run with Team Unity claiming Mrs. Arroyo and some of her senatorial candidates are out to abolish the Senate.

It was then Speaker Villar who, in November 2000, railroaded the transmittal of the impeachment complaint against Estrada to the Senate. Three months later, Estrada was out of office.

Asked if he considers GO as a lesser evil than Team Unity, Pangilinan responded: "Let’s put it this way – I will vote for more opposition than administration candidates (on May 14)."

He also admitted the difficulty of campaigning as an independent, forcing him to depend on the popularity of his wife-singer-actress Sharon Cuneta and her daughter KC Concepcion, joining him on the road.

Pangilinan bared his plans to launch a fund-raising activity for his campaign machinery.

"I have no party machinery to speak about. But Sharon, KC and I will sing together during my campaign. There are also some persons who want to help us in our campaign," he said.

Pangilinan also conceded he would lose votes if GO decides to junk him.

"That’s the reality of it. You lose some, you win some," he said. -Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz