Team PNoy confident Sabah crisis won’t affect campaign

MANILA, Philippines - The Liberal Party-led coalition Team PNoy downplayed fears that the bloody encounter in Sabah between Malaysian security forces and armed followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III would weaken the administration candidates’ chances of winning, lawmakers said yesterday.

House Deputy Majority Leader and Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo, a spokesman of Team PNoy, issued the statement amid criticisms on the way President Aquino handled the standoff in Sabah.

He said Aquino, who has been actively campaigning, should not be blamed for the incident because he made several attempts to end the standoff peacefully.

He said the incident has “no effect on our candidates as far as we are concerned.”

“The Sabah issue has been handled by the President well. He (President Aquino) will emerge from this crisis even better,” Quimbo said.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, an administration senatorial candidate, urged the people to respect and support whatever decision Aquino will make on the Sabah issue.

“Let’s put our trust in the President when dealing with sensitive issues, events are still unfolding as we speak,” Angara said.

Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III said a peaceful solution was the highest priority of the government.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, another Team PNoy spokesman, said the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay is suffering from an identity crisis since it is benefiting from the popularity of President Aquino while trying to portray their coalition as an opposition group.

Evardone described UNA as nothing but an “obstructionist opposition” out to derail the country’s economic progress.

Binay, who also enjoys high popularity ratings, is currently a member of Aquino’s Cabinet as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and at the same time head of UNA together with former President Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Evardone cited UNA’s political gimmick of packaging itself as Senate fiscalizers.

“At least the lines are getting clearer now: between the reformists and the oppositionists. We maintain that we need a Senate that will support and embrace the reform agenda of President Aquino,” he said.

“We certainly do not want an obstructionist Senate that will derail the country’s economic progress,” he added.

Evardone urged voters to elect into office candidates who would help Aquino finish his reform agenda, which include clean government, inclusive growth, and peace and security.