CEBU, Philippines - As the United Nationalist Alliance recently decided to drop the three common senatorial candidates they have with the Liberal Party, critics have hit the administration-led coalition as the reason for the issues on accommodating guest candidates.
Despite the concern though, local Liberal Party members in Cebu are confident that they can now push through in making sure all 12 of their candidates will win in the province.
But in the two-day campaign rally of Team PNOY in Cebu, the guest candidates were not fully seen in the sorties.
For the first day of campaign in Tabunok Talisay, only former MTRCB chairman Grace Poe-Llamanzares was present. Senator Loren Legarda sent her son Leandro Legarda Leviste while Senator Francis Escudero was absent.
On their campaign rally in Liloan, all three were not present.
However, their local LP counterparts are still confident that they can deliver a straight win for the full slate even if the three were not here during the campaign and even with issues thrown at their national party.
Acting Governor Agnes Magpale, LP’s bet for vice governor, said that the absence of the three candidates during the two-day rally in Cebu does not make a difference.
Magpale said that the three candidates have been doing very well in their ranking as far as surveys is concerned and their participation, whether with LP or UNA, does not change anything.
Magpale, a close friend of Escudero, said that the latter’s ranking has been very well considering that he is an independent candidate. After UNA’s decision, Escudero said he would remain as an independent candidate but will now actively join LP’s sorties.
The LP senatorial candidates have assured that they will be back to Cebu, being the province with most number of registered voters of 2.5M.
During their visit in Cebu recently, LP senatorial candidate Benigno “Bam†Aquino IV explained that it is very hard to have all 12 candidates together during their campaign sorties.
But he said that their ‘teamwork’ goes beyond showing up in sorties. He explained that so long as they continue to agree that the reforms of President Benigno Aquino III should be continued, it is enough for the party. President Aquino leads the LP-coalition.
LP’s gubernatorial candidate for Cebu, Atty. Hilario Junjun Davide III, assured all his national partymates of a sure win in the province. He has confirmed as well that apart from the two-day sortie of the national party, there would be more visits to Cebu from their senatorial slate as well as President Aquino. (FREEMAN)