Pimentel III prays for Zubiri’s exclusion in UNA coalition’s senate slate

Former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday admitted that he prays for the exclusion former senator Miguel Zubiri in the senatorial slate of the United Nationalist Alliance coalition, which his party the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan is a coalition partner.

In a chance interview after the joint meeting of the senate committees on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation joint with Finance, Pimentel said that he has already filed a formal motion stating his objection to the inclusion of Zubiri in the line-up.

“Nagformal motion na ako objecting to the inclusion of Zubiri in the UNA coalition and then habang nagde-decide sila ngatyong araw, nagmi-meeting sila, ako ay nagdadasal na wag nilang isama (I already filed a formal motion objecting the inclusion of Zubiri in the UNA coalition and then while they are deciding today, they are having a meeting, I am praying he won’t be included),” Pimentel told reporters.

Pimentel is one of the first five senatorial bets that the UNA coalition announced earlier. Also included in the top five are Jose de Venecia III from PDP-Laban, Cagayan Representative Juan Ponce Enrile Jr., San Juan City Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito of the PMP and independent re-electionist Senator Gregorio Honasan II.

Meanwhile, Pimentel said he is not aware of other senatorial candidates who made it into UNA’s slate.

Last week, Zubiri took his oath as a member of former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party which is the coalition partner of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s PDP-Laban. Zubiri will be running again for a seat in the senate.

Last year, Zubiri resigned from his post after being involved in a poll fraud case filed against him by Pimentel who lost against him in the 2007 senatorial elections.