UNA bets vow to be Senate fiscalizers

MANILA, Philippines - Senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) vowed last night that they would be fiscalizers in the Senate.

Seven UNA candidates made the common declaration in a visit to The STAR office in Manila.

Nancy Binay, eldest daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, said the UNA senatorial candidates are the answer to the country’s problems on poverty, hunger and employment.

“We will answer and focus on our country’s problem on hunger, poverty and lack of jobs,” Binay said.

Mitos Magsaysay said the UNA candidates have the necessary track record to oppose the wrong things that the administration will commit and support the right programs in the pipeline.

“We will be independent senators that will give the necessary checks and balances in the Senate,” Magsaysay said, adding that each candidate has his or her own advocacies.

“We are not devoted to the President, we are devoted to the people,” Magsaysay said.

San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito-Estrada, son of former President Joseph Estrada, said the Senate should have a fiscalizer that can tell the President the real situation.

“We have a very popular President. Even the people around him cannot tell him the true situation of the country, whenever he is wrong. We will be the fiscalizer who could tell the President the real situation of the country. The LP (Liberal Party) candidates will only say ‘Yes Sir’ to the President,” Estrada said.

Rep. Tingting Cojuangco said UNA is a group of people with best experience.

“The UNA, from the beginning, was not there to be an opposition. If they can say they are for matuwid na daan (straight path), can we not also be the matuwid na daan? I believe we are going to be excellent legislators. We have a group of individuals with outstanding experience,” Cojuangco said.

Former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said UNA is composed of individuals with different advocacies for the good of the people.

“We have a member who has advocacy in peace and order and public safety; health, women and children, higher education. We have shared platforms to decrease the families living below the poverty level and for the elderly and senior citizens,” Zubiri said.

Former Senate president Ernesto Maceda also said UNA will be fiscalizers.

“We are a constructive opposition that will fiscalize in the Senate,” Maceda said.

Absent at the dinner were Sen. Gringo Honasan and Rep. Jack Enrile.

Meanwhile, UNA will resume their campaign sorties in Quezon City and Cavite on Wednesday and Thursday.

UNA secretary-general and campaign manager Toby Tiangco said the candidates will campaign in Cubao, Katipunan and other parts of the third district of Quezon City on Wednesday and will visit Dasmariñas, Carmona, General Trias and Trece Martires in Cavite on Thursday.

The UNA candidates recently trooped to Zambales and Bataan, considered bailiwicks of one of its senatorial bets, former Sen. Richard Gordon.

Tiangco said Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, a Nacionalista Party stalwart who has friends in UNA, will accommodate them in Cavite.

After their proclamation in Cebu City, UNA had campaign sorties in Bohol, Pampanga, Zambales and Bataan.

“We are very satisfied. They warmly welcome us. We will campaign as much as we can,” Tiangco said.

He said that aside from conventional campaigning, UNA will also maximize the exposure of their candidates through media.