Pimentel Jr: Money behind UNA decision to endorse Zubiri in slate

Former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Money is the driving force behind the decision of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) coalition’s decision to field former Senator Miguel Zubiri as one of its senatorial candidates for the 2013 elections former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Monday.

In a statement, the elder Pimentel criticized the UNA coalition– political alliance between Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)—for choosing Zubiri over his son, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

“I concede that Migs Zubiri—who UNA prefers over Koko (Pimentel)—has one advantage over the latter. And that is simply m-o-n-e-y,” Pimentel said in a statement.

The veteran politician commended the UNA coalition for its focus to win in the 2013 elections but he lambasted its eagerness “to sacrifice principles for practical partisan gains”.

“It’s not correct for UNA to say that all the election cheats are in jail. Not so. Some of them are under detention now. But not all,” Pimentel said.

“I cannot accept that decision of UNA in good conscience. There is not much I can do about it but at the very least I still can and will denounce it as unworthy of the lofty aims of UNA and totally underserving of the support of our people,” he added.

He also criticized UNA spokesman JV Bautista’s refusal to address the issue at hand and instead speculated that the younger Pimentel might join the Liberal Party and “that the LP might have ‘formidable resources’ to back up its candidates.”

“He ignores the present dire implications of the questioned UNA decision where money trounces principles here and now and the unconscionable message that it sends that it is all right for UNA to have cheats join the cheated in its political slate and endorse them all for the people to support because the ‘focus’ of the alliance is to win the 2013 elections. In the language of the kantoboys (street toughies), that means winning elections at all cost,” Pimentel said.

Earlier, UNA coalition announced that Zubiri will be among its candidate for senatorial slate despite the opposition of the younger Pimentel. Pimentel took office as Senator last year after Zubiri resigned from his post due to electoral fraud allegations. Pimentel lost to Zubiri during the 2007 elections.

Meanwhile, for his part, Bautista urged the former senator to respect the coalition as he denied that Zubiri was chosen over his son.
“We earnestly ask Senator Nene Pimentel not to disrespect UNA and the unity it has achieved under its covenant. Migz Zubiri was never chosen over Senator Koko Pimentel who, in fact, was chosen ahead of everyone in the Senate slate. The basis for their selection was their endorsement by their respective parties in the alliance,” Bautista said in a separate text statement.
“Wild speculations by the good senator adds only heat but fails to generate light,” he added.

Originally posted at 5:36 p.m.