Chiz seeks re-election, shuns campaign sorties

REELECTIONIST Senator Francis Escudero neither confirmed nor denied that the Liberal Party asked him and two other candidates not to join the campaign sorties of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Escudero, along with Senator Loren Legarda and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares, are listed as guest candidates of UNA.

"Anumang isyu maaayos din yan, tatlong buwan pa bago magsimula ang kampanya. Pangalawa, hindi naman ako sumasampalataya sa rally kundi sa bagong uri ng pangangampanya gamit ang tradisyunal at lalo na ang bago (social media)," he told reporters.

The senator has been a consistent frontrunner in pre-election surveys, making him attractive to the UNA of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino III.

An official of the administration coalition maintained that it would be awkward for common candidates like Escudero to join campaign rallies of UNA.

“It will be difficult for these three candidates (Senator Escudero, Senator Loren Legarda Legarda, Grace Poe) to appear in the stage of the other side because, in effect, they are junking the other nine candidates of the administration. It will create practical difficulty,” Senator Franklin Drilon, campaign manager of the Liberal Party-led coalition, said.

Drilon however dismissed the possibility of imposing sanctions to the common candidates should they decide to attend any UNA activity.

“We are not talking here about sanctions; we are talking here about cooperation,” he said.

As for its campaign strategy, the administration slate might limit the campaign rallies in major cities in the country to temper expenses. The LP coalition will also try to gain wider support through the use of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, according to Drilon.

Reporters covering the poll body were also looking for Escudero's rumored girlfriend Heart Escudero but she was nowhere to be found.

"I think she is resting," he said, adding the actress has been busy with tapings. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)