Team PNoy slams UNA on NPC breakaway from LP

MANILA, Philippines - The Team PNoy senatorial ticket accused the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) yesterday of spreading the rumor that the Liberal Party (LP)-led administration coalition is disintegrating.

“UNA is at it again. The report that NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition) has bolted Team PNoy is untrue. It is part of a tsunami of intrigues to break the formidable force of the coalition,” Team PNoy spokesman Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar said.

“After they failed in their attempt to win over our three official candidates, our adversaries are trying another move to distract our campaign,” he said.

He was referring to Team PNoy members Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda and Grace Poe-Llamanzares, whom UNA has adopted.

“It is unfortunate that UNA is resorting to this tactic. We reiterate our call to focus on issues and platforms in this campaign,” Evardone said.

On Tuesday, NPC spokesman Rep. Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City denied that the coalition is scuttling its partnership with LP.

“There is no truth to the news report that NPC is breaking its partnership agreement with the LP. None of the party officials made that statement,” he said.

Gatchalian said NPC would work for the victory of Team PNoy.

“The NPC will continue to support the President and his reform agenda till his last day in office,” he said.

NPC is identified with businessman and San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Its leader in the House of Representatives is Cojuangco’s brother Henry, a Tarlac congressman.

The Cojuangco political party has entered into a coalition with Aquino’s LP and Sen. Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party to support a common senatorial ticket, now called Team PNoy.

The coalition’s candidates and LP leaders are campaigning this week in some cities in Negros Occidental, which is considered NPC country.

Gatchalian made the assurance that their group would not desert its coalition partners amid speculations that NPC is not getting fair treatment from the administration due to the filing of a series of charges against one of its members, Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino.

Espino is facing jueteng-related charges before the Ombudsman’s office and a murder case before the Department of Justice.

NPC leaders have claimed that the charges against the Pangasinan governor were politically motivated.

Though NPC and the ruling party are coalition partners in the senatorial race, they are slugging it out in the local derby.

LP has fielded Mayor Hernani Braganza of Alaminos town against Espino.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, a stalwart of NPC, admitted that there were officials and members of the party who have expressed their intention to support candidates from both Team PNoy and UNA in spite of the partnership agreement with LP.

Sotto said that NPC members who would not support the entire Team PNoy were upset over the failure of the LP to “honor the equity of the incumbent rule.”

“Although the party remains supportive of the President and will continue to remain cooperative, our local officials and candidates have been constrained to not support the coalition with the LP,” Sotto said in a text message.

He said that the NPC leadership is expected to support the NPC senatorial candidates and some “friends” of the party.

“Loren and Jack (Juan Ponce Enrile Jr.), 100 percent. Friends are Chiz, Greg (Senator Gregorio Honasan), Dick (Richard Gordon) and others, depending on the official concerned,” Sotto said.

Sotto said that he is helping out in the campaign of Honasan, who is running under UNA.

P1.89 M for proclamation rally

The LP spent P1.89 million for its proclamation rally in Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila last Feb. 12, its “Statement of Expenses on Public Rally” showed.

The statement, filed with the Comelec’s 3rd district Manila office, showed that LP had paid Creative Synergy Inc. P945,560 for the “rally’s staging and logistics” and another P945,560 for “production.”

The document was signed by LP treasurer Alfonso Umali Jr.

Asked if LP overspent, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the campaign spending of candidates and parties are computed as a whole and not on per activity basis.

Jimenez added that there is a cap for campaign expenditures and what the Comelec monitors is if the candidates and their parties spend within the limit.

As a rule, candidates are required to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures within 30 days after election day.

Aside from candidates for president and vice president, other bets are allowed to spend P3 for every voter in the constituency where they are seeking the elective post, plus P5 from their political parties.

Independent candidates are allowed to spend P5 for each voter.  – With Marvin Sy, Paolo Romero, Sheila Crisostomo