Palace: Opposition too weak to defeat administration bets

Malacañang said yesterday the opposition is weak and unable to form a strong senatorial ticket for the May 2007 midterm elections.

Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said the conflicting and shifting pronouncements by perceived candidates of the opposition showed their inability to present any concrete platform before the people.

At the same time, Claudio declared the ruling coalition is now in "the process of putting together a complete, formidable administration (senatorial) slate."

He said the preparations for the administration coalition slate are proceeding well "within the right timeline."

Claudio noted the conflicting statements made by known opposition candidates during the assembly of the United Opposition (UNO) last Friday.

"It’s the opposition that’s encountering difficulties as shown by their conflicting and shifting pronouncements about their lineup capped by a lackluster (opposition) assembly last Friday," Claudio said.

"The reluctance or desistance of incumbents to declare themselves to be with the opposition and talks of third force (are) telltale (signs) of the sinking ability of the opposition to form a united slate," he said.

Claudio said the opposition has shown cracks in its ranks this early.

He noted the opposition declared former Vice President Teofisto Guingona to head the senatorial slate, only to be followed by a complete silence.

"Then they proclaim hatred and impeachment of President Arroyo to be their sole platform. What a boon for the administration, this is because what the electorate will see in May is a contrast between the administration’s program of performance and progress, especially in bringing about a turnaround in the country’s economy and the opposition’s hollow platform of hate," Claudio said.

Claudio said the opposition and other critics are bound to lose in the elections as the people’s way of showing they still approve of the President.

‘Third force’

The opposition, meanwhile, claimed a "third force" is being formed to accommodate "moderates" in the administration for the senatorial elections.

Former senator Ernesto Maceda raised the possibility yesterday by claiming the administration might be resorting to a front or a "shadow" administration lineup in the coming midterm elections.

"I’d like to emphasize that, depending on how a so-called third slate will be formed, we don’t know how it will be accepted. Is it another opposition slate? Is it a shadow administration slate?" Maceda asked.

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., chairman of the Nacionalista Party (NP), which is a member of the ruling coalition, said he is open to the creation of a third force as an alternative to administration and opposition party candidates in the May polls.

Maceda claimed receiving reports that Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has been talking to some senatorial candidates for the creation of the third slate.

Puno is also working "very hard" to get at least 79 winnable congressional bets to ensure that President Arroyo will still have the numbers in case another impeachment suit is filed against her, Maceda said.

In the case of Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and former senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta, the UNO is working on the possibility of accommodating one Aquino in the slate.

"If not, Noynoy may just seek re-election in Tarlac and Oreta going back to her congressional seat in Malabon," Maceda said.

On the other hand, Sen. Franklin Drilon, president of the Liberal Party (LP), said they are definitely fielding Senate majority leader Francis Pangilinan even if he is included in the opposition or administration senatorial ticket. — With Christina Mendez