Gatchalian to replace Garcia in UNA senatorial ticket?

MANILA, Philippines - Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian will likely be replacing Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia in the senatorial lineup of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) after she reportedly decided to run for Congress instead of the Senate in the May 2013 elections.

“I do not want to speculate, I do not have any authority to say this but if I would have a wild guess, we might take in Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian,” said Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, a member of UNA.

Estrada made the revelation after Vice President Jejomar Binay, one of the top leaders of the opposition party, said that Garcia has opted to run for a congressional seat in her district.

“I think she will run for Congress in her district in Cebu. Because she has to campaign for her brother who will run for governor,” Estrada said on Thursday.

The senator noted that Gatchalian has been moving around the country to help boost his possible inclusion in the UNA senatorial slate.

Meanwhile, Binay said yesterday that UNA did not drop Garcia from its senatorial candidates for the midterm elections next year.

Binay, chairman of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) which coalesced with former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) that paved the way for the formation of UNA, said it was Garcia’s decision to seek a congressional seat for the third district of Cebu instead of running for senator next year.

“No, no, no. Excuse me, we are not dropping her. In the same way that she will not continue as a candidate for the Senate not because of the survey,” he said.

The Vice President reiterated that Garcia decided to drop her senatorial bid and run instead for a congressional seat under UNA in the third district of Cebu to unify the Garcias.

“It is not also because of the case against her. In fact, she has cited a very good reason not to run for senator because Cebu needed her much. She has many things to do in Cebu, so in the meantime she will devote her time and attention in Cebu,” he added.

Erap to campaign for UNA

As this developed, former President Estrada will be joining UNA’s election campaign even if he is running for mayor of Manila, his congressman-son San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito said yesterday.

“He will surely join our campaign. He will be with us most of the time during the first half of the 90-day national campaign,” said Ejercito, one of UNA’s senatorial candidates.