Binay-Honasan tandem officially launched in Cebu today

MANILA, Philippines - The opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) will officially launch today in Cebu City the tandem of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan for the 2016 elections.

Binay said Binay-Gringo (Bin-Go) would be a strong team in next year’s polls.

He said Honasan would be a formidable vice presidential candidate.

Honasan is “very qualified” to run for vice president, Binay said.

A highly placed source from the opposition party has told The STAR the party is likely to officially announce the tandem during the event in Cebu today.

“UNA na, Bin-Go pa!” the Vice President said.

UNA is set to hold its Visayas-wide launching at the Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City where thousands of local candidates, including Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, are expected to take their oath under the party.

Binay said UNA would put up a good fight in the Visayas, which is considered to be the bailiwick of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II.

“We will prove that Visayas is not an LP country as the administration claims. UNA will give them a good fight in the Visayas,” UNA secretary general JV Bautista said in a statement yesterday.

Bautista said UNA members and supporters from Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) are also expected to join today’s oath-taking ceremony.

Binay also said he bumped into Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the premiere the other night of the movie “Felix Manalo” in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Binay said he and Marcos remain friends despite the senator’s rejection of his offer to be his running mate.

He said he asked Marcos about his plans for 2016, and the senator told him he is running as an independent vice presidential candidate.

Binay said UNA is considering 16 to 20 prospective senatorial bets of the party.

“Because we are considering a lot for senator, it takes time for us (to announce our senatorial lineup),” Binay told reporters after attending a business forum in Makati City yesterday.

He earlier said actress Alma Moreno and Princess Jacel Kiram of the Sultanate of Sulu are included in UNA’s senatorial slate.

Asked if Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao would still be running under UNA, Binay said, “We’ll know once he files his COC (certificate of candidacy).”

“What I know is he will run for senator,” the Vice President said.

Pacquiao on Monday announced he is running for senator in next year’s polls but he did not say what party he will join.

Both the ruling Liberal Party and the camp of Sen. Grace Poe are wooing Pacquiao, who is rating well in the surveys, to be part of their respective senatorial slates.

Human rights lawyer Harry Roque, who earlier said he was eyeing a Senate seat under UNA, is likely to run as party-list group representative.

Early this year, UNA named Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and BUHAY party-list Rep. Lito Atienza as among those being considered as senatorial candidates.