Team PNoy to UNA: Stop dirty tactics

MANILA, Philippines - Team PNoy has called on the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to stop engaging in black propaganda, and instead start presenting its platform to the electorate.

Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, one of Team PNoy’s spokespersons, expressed disappointment over what he called UNA’s dirty tactics, as he urged the party to focus on issues that matter during the campaign.

In yesterday’s press conference held at the Liberal Party headquarters in Quezon City, Quimbo particularly cited the statements of UNA spokesman Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, who questioned the matuwid na daan or straight path advocacy of the administration.

Tiangco said the administration ignored the cases involving some of its allies, citing Quimbo’s alleged involvement in the questionable loans granted by the Pag-IBIG Fund to Globe Asiatique, and the supposed secret involvement of Sen. Sergio Osmeña III in the campaign of Team PNoy. “It is disappointing and deplorable when you hear black and smear propaganda against individuals who are not even candidates. To us this shows their lack of programs,” Quimbo said.  “Where is the substance? When they question the tuwid na daan, what alternative program are they presenting? So far, I have not heard anything from them except black propaganda,” he added. 

The lawmaker said Team PNoy has a clear message and platform, which is based on the straight path policy of the President.          

He said UNA has resorted to a personality-oriented campaign, which he admitted Team PNoy could not match.

“But if the discussions and debate are kept at a high level, I believe Team PNoy will have the advantage. That is the reason why they have not presented their programs,” Quimbo said, adding a pattern is emerging with UNA, and that is to attack the people around the President and Team PNoy.

He also clarified that no restrictions are being imposed on Team PNoy candidates, particularly on the three common candidates with UNA – senators Loren Legarda and  Francis Escudero, and Grace Poe-Llamanzares – regarding how they want to run their own campaigns.

He said from the start, the party did not prohibit Legarda, Escudero and Llamanzares from joining the rallies of UNA.     

He expressed confidence that the three candidates are mature enough to make the right decisions.

“They will have to make a personal determination as to how they will conduct themselves, whether they will go to the rally of UNA or not. What we said is the electorate wants consistency, a consistent stand on a number of things. They obviously have to make a determination whether it will help them in their campaign when they go to UNA rallies,” he said.            

The non-appearance of the three candidates in the rallies of UNA has become a subject of debate during the campaign.                 

UNA has threatened to remove the three from its list of candidates if they continue to snub its rallies.  Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, the other spokesman of Team PNoy, said Escudero, Legarda and Llamanzares are original candidates of the administration so UNA has no right to treat them as if they were their own.