UNA goes to ‘Erap country’ today

MANILA, Philippines - The senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) will resume their campaign today in Northern Mindanao, perceived to be a bailiwick of former President Joseph Estrada, the party’s spokesman said yesterday.

UNA secretary-general and campaign manager Toby Tiangco said among the areas to be visited by UNA senatorial candidates are Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon and Iligan City.

“It’s time to revisit Erap country,” Tiangco said, referring to the nickname of the ex-president.

In the 1998 elections, Northern Mindanao gave a solid vote to Estrada, who was then running for president.

A similar result was observed in the 2010 elections, when Estrada again received a solid vote from Northern Mindanao over his rival, then senator Benigno Aquino III.

Northern Mindanao also gave Estrada’s then running mate Jejomar Binay a convincing lead over his rivals.

The next stop of UNA’s senatorial candidates will be Cagayan de Oro on March 3, then Iligan City on March 4.

A native of Bukidnon, former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri will lead UNA’s senatorial candidates Nancy Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay; Estrada’s son JV Ejercito; Jack Enrile, son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Richard Gordon; Gregorio Honasan; Ernesto Maceda; Mitos Magsaysay; and Margarita Cojuangco.

Tiangco said the UNA senatorial candidates will present their vision of “power, progress and peace” in Mindanao.

JV hits LP

Meanwhile, Ejercito accused yesterday the Liberal Party (LP) of bullying them during their recent sorties in Mindanao and Cebu.

In an interview with The STAR during UNA’s campaign rally at the public market in San Fernando, Pampanga yesterday, he said that the LP had been calling local officials and the police force in the areas where his party campaigned, instructing them “not to accept us, not to help us.”

Other senatorial bets of UNA, on the other hand, expressed confidence that even if President Aquino is from Tarlac province, they have a bigger chance of capturing more votes than the LP in Central Luzon.

“I don’t think Central Luzon is President Aquino’s bailiwick. He neglected Central Luzon, especially Pampanga, perhaps because of the province’s being linked to the Arroyo administration,” said Zambales Rep. Magsaysay.  – With Ding Cervantes, Alexis Romero