Thursday, January 25, 2007 Visayans not in breakaway group of United Opposition
A SENATORIAL slate to be called the “Middle Force” is being formed by the breakaway group of the United Opposition (UNO).
Sen. Edgardo Angara, guest speaker at the 5th National Convention of the Philippine National Bank Employees’ Association in Cebu, said that the Middle Force will be made up of incumbent senators, former senators and businessmen.
Their complete slate will be announced on or before Feb. 10.
Considering that there are at least six reelectionist senators, the Middle Force needs only six more to complete the slate.
The incumbent senators are Angara, Joker Arroyo, Manuel Villar, Francisco Pangilinan, Ralph Recto and Panfilo Lacson.
Angara said former senators Loren Legarda, Vicente Sotto III and Tessie Aquino-Oreta are joining the new group.
However, former senators John “Sonny” Osmeña and Ernesto Herrera are not in the list.
Sotto and Oreta, though, may be signing up with the Arroyo administration. The two, according to ABS-CBN Manila, joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition of businessman Eduardo Cojuangco who is allied with the administration.
“In the meantime, there is no Cebuano in the lineup. However, we have a series of meetings because the lineup is decided collectively. No one can dictate another,” Angara said.
Osmeña could not be reached for comment. But his aide Brady Lucero said the former senator is in Manila after being assured by former president Joseph Estrada that he will be included in the UNO senatorial slate.
Osmeña ran for reelection in 2004 under the administration ticket of President Arroyo.
In Manila, UNO chairman and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said there is no rift in their ranks after one of their stalwarts, former senator Francisco Tatad, criticized the inclusion of certain personalities in the opposition senatorial slate for the May 14 elections.
Binay said Tatad’s outspoken remark against the inclusion of Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, and lawyer Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III only shows that democracy is “alive and well” in the opposition.
UNO spokesman Ernesto Maceda said Tatad’s complaint has no basis since no final line-up has been released.
But when asked what prompted them to form the Middle Force, Angara said they want their agenda to be influenced by people who are development-oriented and not by a political party.
“We are not anti-administration and we are not anti-opposition. We are in the middle,” Angara said.
In the Middle Force, Angara said that five political parties are in—the Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), Partido ng Masang Pilipino and the PDP-Laban.
He said that all the parties will have local slates nationwide, especially his LDP.
If all the parties will put up their own local candidates, Angara said there is a formula to resolve a conflict, such as the equity of the incumbent. (EOB/With Sunnex)
