Iglesia endorsement favors TU Senate bets 6-5-1

Six senatorial candidates from the administration, five from the opposition, and one independent have received endorsements from the Iglesia ni Cristo, whose members traditionally vote as a bloc.

INC members confirmed having received word from their leaders, led by chief minister Eraño Manalo, about the senatorial candidates they favored.

"The leadership has made the decision after a rigorous selection process," a media practitioner who is an INC member said.

An INC official who declined to be named said lists of the favored candidates would be distributed to members during church services today and on Sunday.

Re-electionist Sen. Ralph Recto of Team Unity said reliable sources informed him that he was one of the six administration candidates endorsed by the INC.

"I was told that it’s 6-5-1 in favor of Team Unity. I think it is a very good endorsement. We have a very good chance of winning,’’ Recto told reporters at the miting de avance of Lakas-CMD local leaders in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

Aside from Recto, other TU candidates in INC’s list are re-electionist senators Joker Arroyo and Edgardo Angara, former presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor, Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri and former Vicente Sotto III.

Genuine Opposition senatorial bets endorsed by the INC are former Loren Legarda, Senate President Manuel Villar, re-electionist Sen. Panfilo Lacson, House Minority Leader Francis Escudero and Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Independent candidate re-electionist Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also made it to the list.

The INC, founded in 1914, has over five million members worldwide. It traditionally endorses candidates during elections.

Candidates normally seek INC support during elections because its members vote as a bloc.

Based on a national census in 2000, the membership of INC accounts for 2.3 percent of the country’s 76.5 million population, or about 1.76 million.

INC endorsed the candidacy of Mrs. Arroyo when she ran for president in 2004.

Her victory over her top rival, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., was fraught with controversy.

INC also sided with former President Joseph Estrada in the 1998 presidential elections to edge out closest rival, Speaker Jose de Venecia, by a wide margin.

Other religious groups like the Catholic charismatic organization El Shaddai of Bro. Mike Velarde and the Jesus Is Lord Movement of Bro. Eddie Villanueva also endorse candidates during elections.

Velarde is reportedly completing his list of 18 bets, and will make an announcement at a prayer rally tomorrow.

Meanwhile, two other religious organizations, the Independent Bishops Conference of the Philippines (IBCP) and the Federation of Evangelical Bishops International (FEBI), announced their own endorsements.

On IBCP’s and FEBI’s list are Surigao Rep. Prospero Pichay, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, Sultan Kiram, Angara, Lacson, Recto, Sotto, actor Cesar Montano, Zubiri, Cayetano, Legarda and Villar.

Bayan Muna endorsement

Militant party-list Bayan Muna has endorsed seven senatorial candidates from GO, two from TU, and one independent.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said the senatorial candidates are former senator Loren Legarda, Rep. Francis Escudero, Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, Koko Pimentel, Sonia Roco, Nikki Coseteng and Sen. Manuel Villar of GO; Joker Arroyo and Ralph Recto of TU; and independent candidate Francis Pangilinan.

Ocampo made the announcement at Bayan Muna’s miting de avance at the Araneta Center last Tuesday.

Ocampo said the 10 were chosen for their track record of pro-people public service, and their consistent stand against the Arroyo administration.

After Bayan Muna, other left-wing party-list groups including Gabriela, Anakpawis, Kabataan and Suara Bangsa Moro are expected to make similar announcements.

Left-wing party-list groups are estimated to have a solid command vote of three million to 3.6 million supporters.

At its miting de avance, Bayan Muna lashed out at the Arroyo administration for its attacks on leftist organizations. To date, 130 members of Bayan Muna have disappeared or have died at the hands of suspected government assassins.

Also present at the miting de avance were national artist Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca, Bobbie Malay, and former Department of Transportation and Communications secretary Josefina Lichauco.

No need to cheat

Zubiri said he does not have to cheat to win in Mindanao and make it to the top 12 Senate slots. The Bukidnon congressman said latest surveys showed him surging to the  "Magic 12.’’

"I would rather lose than occupy a Senate seat acquired by deceit or fraud, or through purchase. There is no honor in a bogus mandate," he said.

Zubiri was commenting on allegations by some retired military generals that Malacañang and the military leadership are conspiring to put him, Defensor, and Pichay in the "Magic 12’’ through cheating.

"Those retired generals are just hallucinating," he said.

He said he had, in fact, turned down offers of help from election fraud experts. He did not elaborate. – With Edu Punay, Non Alquitran