‘UNA should blame itself for poor survey showing’

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has only itself to blame for faring poorly in the senatorial surveys because of its constant unwarranted attacks against the administration coalition, a spokesman for Team PNoy said yesterday.

Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III said that UNA, led by campaign manager and spokesman Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, has resorted to attacks against the administration and Team PNoy instead of presenting its own plans for the nation.

“If they continue focusing on the candidates of Team PNoy, the more they are helping in the awareness of our candidates,” Tañada said.

“I think my friend Toby should just concentrate on their own nine candidates and not bother with Team PNoy’s,” he added.

Team PNoy candidates have taken eight to nine slots of the top 12 in most recent senatorial surveys, with the remaining slots going to UNA candidates.

Tiangco has implied that the financiers of the surveys have some influence on the results and challenged the survey outfits to disclose their financiers.

“The fact that opposition candidates are falling from the Magic 12 should concern UNA. Both Pulse Asia and SWS surveys showed that UNA candidates are either dropping out of the winners’ circle or their numbers are going down,” Tañada said.

“Who knows, maybe Rep. Toby really wants all of Team PNoy candidates to win,” he added.

Tañada said that the strong performance of Team PNoy candidates in the surveys was a result of the hard work of its members in raising awareness.

Former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, who is running under Team PNoy, said that UNA has proven to be an obstructionist opposition with its insistence on attacking the administration instead of presenting its platform.

“I have made a call to UNA candidates to engage in debates to make the campaign a constructive clash of ideas. That way we’ll know what they wish to bring to the table. The offer still stands,” Hontiveros said.  

Meanwhile, UNA senatorial candidates said they do not mind if outsiders are appointed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provided they have clean records. “Whatever it takes, insider or outsider, they should be governed by certain standards,” re-electionist Sen. Gringo Honasan said yesterday.

He said that the next “Comelec commissioner should be competent, should have a clean track record, and subordinate to the ultimate objective of clean, credible, free, and honest elections, which is crucial to our democracy.” 

Honasan also would not mind if someone close to Malacañang is given a Comelec post since the appointment would face scrutiny at the Commission on Appointments.

Honasan was reacting to a recent statement by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes that he prefers an insider to be the next commissioner. 

He said an insider already knows the nature and demands of the work.

Two seats in the Comelec remain unfilled after the two new appointees declined to accept their posts.

Maria Bernadette Sardillo declined her appointment due to health concerns of a family member.

The other appointee, former Lanao del Norte Rep. Macabangkit Lanto, declined the post amid allegations that he was involved in poll fraud about 20 years ago.

– With Alexis Romero