Opposition “Senatoriables” kick off campaign in Manila

By Ronron
February 13, 2007

The Senatorial ticket of the “Grand and Broad Coalition” of the opposition kicked off its campaign for the upcoming May 14 polls on Tuesday, holding it in the poor district of Tondo in Manila City.

Although supporters and staff of the candidates began gathering at around 12:45 pm at the corner of North Bay and Honorio Lopez Boulevards, the caravan only started to roll at 2:40 pm, heading towards Divisoria.

“We chose to do (it first in the poor areas in Manila City) to emphasize the opposition’s deep concern for the poor and marginalized,” said Atty. Adel Tamano, spokesman of the ticket.

Present among the members of the ticket are Atty. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Congressman Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, former Senator Loren Legarda, Sonia Roco, and former Senator John Osmeña. Their campaign manager, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, was also in attendance.

Resigned Navy Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV, who could not leave his detention at the Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City, sent his campaign staff aboard two vehicles.

The other candidates – former Senator Anna Dominic Coseteng, Senators Manuel Villar and Francis Pangilinan, and Congressmen Allan Peter Cayetano and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III – did not make either because they were unprepared for the sudden campaign schedule yesterday or are in the province.

In an interview, Pimentel described their first campaign day as “well-organized,” and credited it to the efforts of Ejercito, who, upon the order of his father, former President Joseph Estrada, gave up his desire to join the Senatorial race in favor of Roco.

He said their ticket has to take advantage of the 90-day campaign opportunity since, unlike the administration, they do not have the resources to make their selves known to the voting public.

“This (election) is not about Erap (Estrada) against (President) Gloria (Macapagal-Arroyo). It’s all about the Filipino people against the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The administration should see this campaign as an opportunity for them to explain the issues that were brought up against her in the impeachment complaint filed at the House of Representatives (but was shot dead by her allies),” Lacson, for his part, said in a separate interview.

Both Pimentel and Lacson assured that their slate will just challenge the administration’s ticket on certain issues and not on personal matters, so they hope their opponents will also do the same.

Among the issues Lacson wants the administration to explain to the public in this campaign season is the government’s hand on the PIATCO deal for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport III project.

Pimentel, for his part, raised the issues on attacks to civil liberties of ordinary Filipinos and on cheating and corruption in government.

He said he will also tackle “science and education because we need to increase productivity for the future of our country.”

During the tour at Divisoria, Lacson and Legarda were obvious crowd favorites, as against Roco, who has to be introduced by her campaign staff as “the wife of Roco,” referring to the late Senator Raul Roco.

From Divisoria, the convoy proceeded to Recto Avenue, to Espana Boulevard, to Welcome Rotonda, to Quiapo Church, and then to Pasay Rotonda.

Some of the spectators said that while they are biased for the opposition because of the “Hello Garci” issue that Arroyo failed to explain properly, they do not promise of a 12-vote straight for the opposition slate.

“Of course, we have to choose who is more qualified… the real patriots, pro-justice, and who knows a lot on governance,” Imelda Cruz of Gagalangin, Tondo, told Manila Shimbun in Filipino as she looks at the opposition sortie before the campaign kick-off.

While she vowed to vote for Legarda when asked immediately after seeing the latter pass by her clothes-for-sale on-display at the sidewalk of Divisoria, Gregoria Gani said she has to weigh the other opposition candidates as well those from the administration ticket. She said her most important consideration would be the willingness and sincerity of the candidate to help the poor like her.

Aside from calendars that fit the walls or the pockets, the candidates also gave out stickers to spectators.

Today (Wednesday), the slate will campaign from Monumento in Caloocan City up to Malolos, Bulacan. On Wednesday, their car parade will move from the Coastal Road in Paranaque City up to Alabang-Zapote.

Their first provincial sortie will be next week in Iloilo.

The group will be formally proclaimed this Friday./DMS