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Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Race for Senate seats on
MANILA -- Candidates running for Senate seats in the May elections filed their candidacies one after the other at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday, the last day of the filing.
As of 5 p.m., 65 candidates had filed certificates of candidacies for 12 slots in the Senate.
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Also on Monday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo began campaigning for administration candidates even if the campaign period would only start on Tuesday.
Senator Joker Arroyo, who is seeking reelection, was the first of the 12 senatorial candidates of the administration ticket to file his candidacy.
Arroyo, 80, said running under the administration doesn't mean he would already stop questioning what he perceives as wrongdoings of the Arroyo government.
Another senator seeking reelection, Senator Francis Pangilinan, was accompanied by his wife, actress Sharon Cuneta, and his sisters and brothers when he filed his candidacy at past 11 a.m. Pangilinan thanked the United Opposition (UNO) for adopting him as a guest candidate even though he is running as an independent.
Liberal Party (LP) members Senators Franklin Drilon, Rodolfo Biazon, and Manuel "Mar" Roxas III joined Pangilinan.
Cuneta said since both the opposition and the administration approached her husband to run in their tickets, he decided to run as independent so as not to offend his friends from both camps.
"It's nice to be at the stage that you're either building or rebuilding friendships kasi nadadamay kami kahit hindi kailangan (because we get dragged into a conflict when we shouldn't have been) when actually all my husband wants is to serve the public," Cuneta added.
Senator Ralph Recto, accompanied by his wife--Lipa Mayor and actress Vilma Santos and son Ryan Christian and stepson Luis Manzano, bumped into Pangilinan and Cuneta. The two men greeted each other while Cuneta and Santos hugged and bussed each other on the cheeks.
Recto said his friendship with Pangilinan "would remain" even if they are running separately.
Administration candidates - former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor, Ilcoos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, Edgardo Angara, Leyte Governor Jericho Petila, Zambales Governor Vicente Magsaysay and Jamalul Kiram, so-called Sultan of Sulu, also lodged their candidacies. The administration candidates heard mass at the Manila Cathedral before proceeding to the Comelec.
From the opposition, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano, and Senate President Manuel Villar also filed their bids on Monday.
Lacson, in an interview, admitted that he was saddened by the decision of the Wednesday group to part ways.
Actor Richard Gomez, who was earlier eyed as an administration candidate, filed his candidacy as an independent. Gomez was accompanied by his wife Lucy Torres and fellow actors and actresses.
President Arroyo, meanwhile, said she was formally endorsing the candidacies of the administration coalition's 12 senatorial bets.
Arroyo, during the 1st National Convention of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) at the Manila Hotel, called on administration allies to support and vote for administration senatorial candidates.
She introduced the 12 bets by their names, platforms, campaign slogans or nicknames while some she introduced by singing their campaign jingles like Bukidnon Representative Miguel Zubiri's "Boom tarat tarat, boom tarat tarat Zubiri Zubiri Zubiri boom boom boom."
She said she would leave politics to the politicians and those running for office as she focuses more on governance and the economy.
Her spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, said separately that the start of the election period signals the end of partisan destabilization. (MSN/JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (February 13, 2007 issue)
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