Ocampo, Maza guest senatorial candidates of NP

MANILA, Philippines - Party-list Reps. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna and Liza Maza of Gabriela have finally decided to run as guest senatorial candidates of the Nacionalista Party, after Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. announced that the NP had severed its ties with the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), which was founded by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The two militant representatives earlier had considered an alliance with the NP but later changed their minds and filed their certificates of candidacy as independent candidates when the NP forged a coalition with the KBL with Marcos’ son, Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as one of the NP’s senatorial candidates.

Ocampo and Maza, who belong to Makabayan, a coalition of progressive party-list groups, said the NP should not forget the atrocities of the Marcos regime.

The NP, however, will keep the younger Marcos as a guest candidate for senator, but Villar assured Ocampo and Maza that he will fight for the promotion of human rights in the country.

Ocampo said the last time they talked about the platform of government with Villar, the NP standard-bearer shared with Makabayan the commitment to pursue indemnification of the human rights victims of the Marcoses and recovery of the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator’s family.

Villar gets 45 percent in SWS survey

A Nov. 4 to 8 survey of the Social Weather Station allowing respondents to make multiple choices for president showed Villar garnering 45 percent.

The respondents were asked whom among the leaders they thought should succeed President Arroyo.

Sen. Benigno Aquino III topped the SWS survey with 59 percent, followed by Villar, while Sen. Francis Escudero got 27 percent, former President Joseph Estrada had 18 percent, and administration candidate Gilberto Teodoro Jr. garnered eight percent.

In surveys asking respondents to choose one presidential candidate that they would vote for, Aquino got 47 percent while Villar received 20 percent.

Surveys allowing respondents to choose more than one would make the total percentage of the votes more than 100. – Aurea Calica