FVR aide scores Pimentel on political grandstanding

Former President Ramos’ media relations adviser Ed Malay, yesterday advised Senate President Aquilino Pimentel to maintain the proper decorum that is attached to the honor and prestige of the office that he represents.

In recent days, Pimentel has issued statements critical of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and lately in predicting that only four senatorial bets of the People Power Coalition will get elected in the coming senatorial elections. Malay said Pimentel holds a very lofty position and as such he should refrain from sounding like a loose cannon that is aimed at everyone in sight.

Based on the Senate President’s recent pronouncements, Malay said it would appear that Pimentel is merely trying to keep a high media profile. "For whatever reason we don’t know. But the Senate President should not use other personalities and or political groups as a springboard to sustain his own public awareness level," Malay said.

It is common knowledge that the Senate President has his eyes on the presidency but the presidential elections is a good three years away and in the meantime there are a lot of issues and concerns that the government which includes the Office of the Senate President has to address rather than waste precious time in political grandstanding which do not serve any purpose, Malay stressed.

Pimentel’s announcement that only four PPC bets will make it to the Senate surprised even the pessimist among the political pundits and many questions have cropped up, Malay said. Is Pimentel trying to condition the minds of the electorate to the possibility that nine Opposition senatorial candidates will win notwithstanding the remoteness of such an assumption? Malay asked.

"Because if this is the case then there is enough reason to closely look into persistent report that the Opposition intends to gain the upperhand in the May electoral process", he added.

On the other hand, it is possible that the Senate President is smarting because his political party the PDP-Laban has become a non-entity with the establishment of the People Power Coalition despite the fact that it is probably the fourth largest political party in the country.