UNA to make Lenten sacrifice

TACURONG, SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines - The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) yesterday vowed not to react to whatever attacks its political opponents might launch during the Holy Week as part of its Lenten sacrifice.

UNA senatorial aspirant Nancy Binay said she would pray for her fellow candidates during the Holy Week.

“We will keep silent during the Holy week as a Lenten sacrifice. We will not answer their attacks in the meantime,” Binay said.

She also took exception to insinuation of the Liberal Party that UNA is using the campaign to attack the administration  coalition .

If you will trace the history of attacks in this campaign period, UNA never started any attacks against our opponents,” Binay said, adding the personal attacks usually come from the LP.

In a separate interview, Jack Enrile said everyone must implement a “ceasefire” during Holy Week.

“We should use Holy Week to reflect, regardless of faith and political leanings and belief. Our country still has time to heal,” Enrile said.

He said candidates must not inject politics and avoid mudslinging, and must use the Holy Week as a period for reflection and self-examination.

“And I think we are obliged to suspend politics,” he said.

Former Senate president Ernesto Maceda welcomed the observance of ceasefire on political attacks.

“There is no disagreement on that. But I don’t know about their claims of political attacks because we never attack them in our speeches. I really don’t know what they are talking about,” he said.

Maceda described as “preposterous” LP’s claim that UNA instigated the parents of Heart Evangelista to launch an attack against re-electionist senator Francis Escudero.

For her part, Mitos Magsaysay said the LP does not need to tell them when to engage in politics.

“We are all good in UNA. We know when to engage in politics and when to stop. The other party need not tell us. We are principled, we are educated and we know the proper decorum in the campaign,” she said, adding UNA does not intervene on personal lives.

Meanwhile, UNA slammed LP for refusing to acknowledge that former Makati mayor Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, was allowed by the Sandiganbayan to travel to Rome with her husband to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Francis.