The Arroyo administration must be desperate at this early to come up with muck to throw at a very strong candidate like Villar. But they must come up with more substantive issues than fussing over Villar’s status as "guest" candidate of the UNO. The Arroyo administration is obviously still smarting over Villar’s decision to ally with no less than ex-President Estrada. Villar calls it a cheap shot when the police security assigned at the rest house detention of Estrada in Tanay, Rizal barred him and his wife Rep. Cynthia Villar from visiting the deposed President last Saturday. This was the time the administration was still hoping to get Villar to join the unity ticket.
And this must have even made them more furious:
SENATE President Manny Villar yesterday vowed to deliver the votes of Las Piñas to candidates of the United Opposition in the May elections, ending questions as to where his loyalty lies.
"Kung saan kami, dun sila," Villar said, referring to the more than 400,000 registered voters of the city that he once represented in House.
In the May 2004 elections, President Arroyo won only in Las Piñas among the 17 cities and towns of Metro Manila.
Villar, president of the Nacionalista Party and an adopted candidate of UNO, said Las Piñas will deliver the votes to the UNO candidates as he said the city mayor down to the barangay captains are allies.
Las Piñas is considered a bailiwick of the Aguilars, to which Villar’s wife Rep. Cynthia Villar belongs. The mayor, Imelda Aguilar, is the sister-in-law of Rep. Villar.
Villar said Las Piñas did not go for Fernando Poe Jr. in the May 2004 elections because the opposition fielded a candidate against Rep. Villar.
He also said his colleagues in the opposition should stop doubting his political loyalty after he gave them a grand welcome to his city.
"Dapat wala ng doubts," he said.
The Villar couple hosted lunch for the UNO candidates also campaigned in Parañaque and Muntinlupa.
Villar said his group took three days to prepare the Las Piñas welcome.
He also said he intends to join UNO rallies if his schedule permits.
Thank god for Manny Villar.
There was even an attempt to bar Villar from attending the PMA rites by Arroyo acolytes. But the admin failed, and during the PMA rites, Villar slammed the Arroyo gov't.
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City — It was a double whammy for Malacañang and some members of the executive here yesterday, with both President Arroyo and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. getting a dose of their own medicine for their reported failed attempt to bar opposition senatorial candidate, Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., from attending this year’s homecoming celebration of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
The lawmaker, who is seeking reelection in the May 14 polls as an adopted candidate of the opposition, took a dig at the executive’s continuing moves that tend to politicize the ranks of the military, both active and retired, to get back at its critics.
In his speech, Villar criticized the alleged continuing measure to shield government officials from Senate inquiries and the Palace-backed efforts to amend the Constitution, which, he said, was meant to abolish the Senate and stop the chamber from investigating alleged anomalies in the government.
He stressed that the Senate has been a “watchdog of the performance of the executive branch” and it crosses party lines when the issues at hand are a matter of “national interest.”
“Unfortunately, there are those who are not comfortable with the independence of the Senate. Our determination to expose what we honestly perceive as anomalies in governance is construed as the work of an obstructionist,” the Senate chief noted.
While some of those who graduated from PMA during the mid-1970s and beyond, resorted to “heckling” Esperon, aside from the apparent “cold treatment” they afforded him, for having been supposedly a “party” to the case involving Villar.
Syempre, hindi ito pinalampas ni Iggy Bunye, at binira rin niya si Villar.
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Marcos at least allowed Ninoy media access when he was a prisoner-candidate - Noynoy Aquino
Comparing Presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Arroyo in their treatment of prisoner-candidates, the son of slain Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., “Noynoy” who is running as an opposition senatorial candidate, yesterday said Marcos was a lot better and more humane than President Arroyo.
In calling for the administration to grant detained Oakwood rebel Navy Lt/SG Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes, also an opposition senatorial bet, access to media and interviews, Noynoy recalled that Marcos allowed his father, who was in a military jail but was also a candidate for the Marcos Parliament, to campaign via the media, granted this to his father, the late Senator Aquino Jr.
“He (Trillanes) should be given the opportunity to share his message through media interviews,” Aquino stressed adding that even his father was given the same opportunity even by Marcos even when Aquino was tagged as an enemy of the state.
“At least in this particular case, I urge the Arroyo government to do a Marcos,” Aquino said, adding that if Mrs. Arroyo doesn’t grant Trillanes that media access he asks for, then she is worse than Marcos.
Trillanes, who faces rebellion charges, is barred from joining the opposition on its campaign sorties. He was likewise was barred from granting media interviews to television and radio crews at his detention cell in the Marine Brigade, Fort Bonifacio.
“I hold no grudge toward the people caught in that situation. What I’m saying is that we should give these people a chance to return to the fold of the law,” he said.
What is more important now, he added, is that Trillanes has already demonstrated his resolve to go back to the system and embrace the Constitution by participating in the May 14 elections. And this must be acknowledged by the government, he added.
“Trillanes is opting for electoral reforms. We must encourage him for going within the system. The charges are not the issue. The issue here is that he returns to the system.”
More from Susan Ople on Trillanes:
I have this on good authority.
Detained Navy Lt. SG Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes was recently offered campaign funds amounting to P4-million by a known jueteng lord. Despite meager funds — certainly not enough to finance a full-blown TV ad campaign — the senatorial candidate of GO refused the offer.
That P4-M would have been enough to at least cover the expense of a few radio spots, campaign posters, and mobilization costs of his volunteers. That he turned it down speaks volumes about this young guy’s principles. I never agreed with the Magdalo’s mutiny, no matter how romantic or idyllic the notion behind it. But I believe in second chances, not just for him but for all of us as well.
Still, there is a cynical belief in the political world that honesty doesn’t get one elected. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to prove these cynics wrong?
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Ernie Maceda reacting to Dodong Nemenzo's comment na puro trapo raw ang mga kandidato sa dalawang panig (Team Unity and GO!):
Nemenzo’s complaint. Former UP president Francisco Nemenzo said both administration and opposition senatorial tickets are full of trapos. Why? Because non-trapos refuse to run. Prof. Randy David, Prof. Adel Tamano, former DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman and Leah Navarro among others were invited to run, but they refused.
Top lawyer Mario Ongkiko is running for senator as Kapatiran Party candidate together with resigned Usec Zosimo Paredes. Ok, President Nemenzo, you can go all-out and campaign for these two non-trapos.
It’s time to ask, weren’t non-trapos, a.k.a. civil society leaders, responsible for putting GMA in Malacañang? And these so-called trapos now, weren’t they civil society or non politicians before they ran?
Loren Legarda was a TV personality, Ping Lacson was a career police officer, Pong Biazon was a Marine general. So they become trapos just because they ran and won? There’s something not right in labeling all those who have won and served as “trapos.”
If I may use my own experience, sir, you call me a trapo too but didn’t you honor this trapo for being one of the magnificent 12 who voted against the extension of the US bases? Didn’t I join former Sen. Bobby Tañada in voting against the ratification of the GATT? Throw in more than 200 laws I have authored or sponsored and 200 exposés that saved billions of government funds. Remember the PEA Amari deal invalidated by the Supreme Court?
Yes sir, not all traditional politicians are bad. Every senator and congressman including those belonging to dynasties must be judged on his individual record. Just as each UP professor must be judged on his individual performance.
It’s not fair to brand all politicians as trapos just as it is not fair to brand all UP professors as communists.
Touche!
Sabi rin ni Lito Banayo:
Manong Ernie Maceda decries friend Dodong Nemenzo’s sweeping denunciation of all trapos, when the former UP president said both tickets reek of them.
There are good trapos and bad trapos, adopting the political pejorative at face value. But as Manong Ernie asks, where have the non-trapos gone? When the senatorial slate was being formed, why did non-trapos like Randy David and Dinky Soliman, and Leah Navarro reject the opposition’s repeated offers to stand up and be counted? They would have made highly attractive candidates to the middle class, and in a campaign, could likewise get the masa vote. Sonia Roco stands out for her courage, despite initially low survey ratings. That’s one candidate who I will not only vote for, but will campaign vigorously for.
Hehe... si Helga inalok na tumakbo bilang senador rin pala...
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