What does the three “guest†candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), namely re-electionist Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda, and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares, have in common? Aside from their being officially dropped last week as UNA “guest†candidates, Escudero, Legarda, and Llamanzares are also closely associated with the late movie action star Fernando Poe Jr.
The late actor ran but lost to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the May 2004 elections. Poe ran under the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino with Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) headed by his bosom buddy, former President Joseph Estrada. This was when then Tarlac Rep. Benigno “Noy†Aquino III and the Liberal Party were Arroyo allies.
Legarda was Poe’s vice presidential running mate while Escudero was his presidential campaign spokesman. And of course, Llamanzares, Poe’s daughter by actress Susan Roces, campaigned for her late father.
Six months later, Poe succumbed to a massive heart attack in December 2004 without seeing his protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal getting off the ground. This, despite the “I am sorry†made by Mrs. Arroyo in the “Hello, Garci†scandal that marred the May 2004 presidential contest and hounded her since then up to the present.
Fast forward. Legarda, Escudero and Llamanzares have joined the 12-man Senate ticket of President Aquino. Dubbed as Team PNoy, the three were drafted in the Aquino administration-backed Senate ticket.
Despite this, the UNA adopted them also as “guest†candidates to complete its own Senate ticket. Though belonging to Team PNoy, Escudero and Llamanzares filed their respective certificates of candidacy as “independent†before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Legarda filed her political affiliation under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
For almost two weeks since the official campaign period started, UNA waited for its three “guest’ candidates to show up in its campaign rallies and provincial sorties. Legarda and Llamanzares sent their respective representatives to attend UNA rallies that kicked off in Cebu last Feb. 12.
Until they could no longer take it, UNA secretary-general and campaign manager, re-electionist Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, finally dropped the three “guest†candidates from their senatorial line-up. The UNA decision did not surprise Legarda, Escudero and Llamanzares anymore when the news reached them while they were on the campaign trail with P-Noy in Iloilo last Thursday.
But as far as President Aquino is concerned, Escudero, Legarda and Llamanzares have always been Team PNoy candidates since day one of the campaign. And as members of the Team PNoy Senate ticket, they are part of his administration’s “Tuwid na Daan†campaign to fight corruption.
To this end, President Aquino has not relented in his attacks against ex-President Arroyo. Pushing for “12-0†win in the Senate race, P-Noy lashed at his immediate predecessor in the many of the campaign rallies, reminiscent of his own presidential campaign digs on her during the May 2010 elections.
Naturally, the battery of campaign drumbeaters of Team PNoy rejoiced UNA’s dropping their three sure-winner candidates.
Now less the three “guest†candidates, UNA decided it would no longer invite or adopt any candidates to replace them. Tiangco announced they would just to stick to their nine-man Senate slate.
The nine are re-electionist Sen. Gregorio “Gringo†Honasan; ex-Senators Ernesto Maceda, Richard Gordon and Miguel “Migz†Zubiri; San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV†Estrada; Cagayan Rep. Jackie Enrile; Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay; Nancy Binay; and Margarita “Tingting†Cojuangco.
Though diminished in number, the UNA senatorial ticket remains formidable as far as their camp is concerned.
Except for Binay and Cojuangco who are basically neophytes in politics, the rest of the UNA senatorial candidates have been politicians through these years. In fact, the veteran and most senior of them all is 78-year-old Maceda. A former ambassador, ex-Senate president, and former executive secretary during the Marcos time, Maceda points to now 89-year-old Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as his inspiration why he decided to run again for the Senate.
The Senate stints of Maceda, Gordon, Honasan and Zubiri could not be denigrated even by their most bitter detractors and critics. Magsaysay, Estrada, and Enrile have their respective performances as members of the House of Representatives to speak for their bids to become Senators.
This is aside from the fact that the names of Magsaysay, Estrada and Enrile are identified with political dynasties, helping them to a certain degree to get elected in pursuit of their own careers in politics. Estrada is a son of the ex-President while Enrile is the son of the Senate President. While they may be political neophytes, Binay and Cojuangco also belong to their own political dynasties. Nancy is the daughter of Vice President Binay while Tingting is the wife of former Tarlac Rep. Peping Cojuangco, maternal uncle of President Aquino.
The nine UNA Senate bets can only hope they get more exposure and fighting chances to make it to the “Magic 12†winning circle with the exit of their three “guest†candidates. The Senate President, Vice President Binay and ex-President Estrada, the so-called “3 kings†of the UNA executive committee, reached this decision to just let go of their three “guest†candidates for the greater good of all concerned.
Both consistent survey-toppers, Legarda and Escudero would like to believe that it won’t hurt them that much to lose the backing of UNA. Llamanzares has entered the “Magic 12†circle in the last opinion survey on senatorial preferences of sample voters.
Of the three, however, it is only Llamanzares who still enjoys the full backing of ex-President Estrada who happens to be her godfather and bosom buddy of her late father. Though also running for the May 13 elections in the mayoral race in the City of Manila, Estrada reiterated his “personal†support to the Senate bid of Llamanzares.
For ex-President Estrada, it’s FPJ ghost past that would settle the score in favor of his anointed candidates in the coming elections.