Sen. Nancy Binay. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is putting on hold all political talks in relation to the 2022 elections, describing as “cold and insensitive” moves to put forward any electoral agenda amid the growing threats of COVID-19.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives and economy, and with the unfolding of another wave of infections brought by new variants that may likely compromise public health and cripple healthcare institutions, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has decided to put on hold all matters concerning alliances, coalitions, and other political activities,” UNA president Senator Nancy Binay said in a statement Tuesday.
“Amid the atmosphere of ‘Elections 2022’, UNA finds it cold and insensitive to put on the table any electoral agenda while our people are experiencing uncertainties in the wake of the growing Delta variant cases in [the] country,” she added.
Politics, the senator added, is “aggravating a public health issue” and is likewise “hampering” the level of pandemic response in the country.
“This is why UNA would rather put a high premium in ensuring the health and safety of the people than concern itself with 2022,” she added.
“For this reason, UNA has decided to suspend all talks in connection with the 2022 National Elections until further notice so that the Party can help and focus well in fighting the pandemic,” she added.
Many potential candidates and brewing alliances for the 2022 elections have been cropping up ahead of the polls next year.
So far, only Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III have confirmed their electoral bid as a tandem in 2022.
Binay’s father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, is running for senator under the Lacson-Sotto pair.
Meanwhile, the ruling PDP-Laban party of President Rodrigo Duterte is having a conflict of its own.
For her part, Vice President Leni Robredo earlier said she is still in “exploratory talks” with other presidential candidates of the opposition.
Recently, Robredo had separate meetings with the Lacson-Sotto tandem and Senator Richard Gordon as part of her “commitment to forge the broadest possible unity among groups and individuals seeking change in 2022.”