UNO predicts Senate sweep

The United Opposition (UNO) yesterday said they would sweep the senatorial race in the May elections and get a 12-0 mandate.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, UNO president, predicted that the opposition would clobber the administration’s senatorial bets.

"Nobody from the senatorial candidates of the administration would beat the UNO slate," said Binay during the group’s meeting at the Club Filipino in San Juan.

San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito said the current political situation and the recent surveys showed that the opposition will be a runaway winner in the coming senatorial elections.

"Ilalampaso ng oposisyon ang kandidato ni GMA na halos lahat ay mayroong masamang record sa gobyerno," (The opposition will clobber the candidates of GMA, all of whom have dismal records in government.) said Ejercito, who is also one of the possible senatorial bets of UNO.

The UNO meeting was also attended by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former senators Vicente Sotto, Ernesto Maceda, John Osmeña, Nikki Coseteng and Ernesto Herrera, Reps. Joel Villanueva, Francis Escudero, Rolex Suplico, Darlene Antonino, and Ronaldo Zamora, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, Batangas Vice Gov. Ricky Recto, and other opposition leaders.

UNO, however, did not announce the opposition’s official senatorial ticket, which is still being finalized.

Among the expected candidates of UNO for the Senate are former vice president Teofisto Guingona, former senators Loren Legarda, Sotto, Panfilo Lacson, and Gregorio Honasan, San Juan Mayor Ejercito, Reps. Escudero and Allan Peter Cayetano, and lawyer Aquilino Pimentel III.

The remaining UNO slots will be contested by Senate President Manny Villar, Senators Ralph Recto and Francis Pangilinan, former senators Tessie Oreta, Osmeña, Rep. Noynoy Aquino and actor Richard Gomez.

Opposition leaders also warned the people of massive cheating by the administration to prevent an opposition sweep of the Senate race.

Former immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, UNO counsel, said the opposition would deploy lawyers in all polling precincts to assist poll watchers.