No gag order on joining UNA sorties—Legarda

Senator Loren Legarda INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday denied getting any instruction from the administration coalition not to share a stage with candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Legarda, Senator Francis ‘Chiz” Escudero and Grace Poe-Lllamanzares, were named as the official candidates of the administration coalition led by the Liberal Party but the three were also adopted as guest candidates of UNA.

“Nababasa ko sa inyong mga news, narinig ko (I read the news, heard it),” Legarda said if she got any request or order not to appear in UNA’s sorties.

Even President Benigno Aquino III, she said, made no mention of such request or order when he invited her to join the coalition.

“Ang nag-imbita sa akin ay si Pangulong Aquino at si Pangulong Noynoy ay nasabi na sana ay masuportahan mo ako sa aking reform agenda. Tapos sabi ko, Mr. President kasama man o hindi ako sa LP slate ay sinusuportahan ko kayo hanggang sa dulo ng inyong termino dahil ako’y naniwala sa inyong malinis na ng panunungkulan (It was President Aquino , who invited me. He said I hope you can support my reform agenda. And then I told him, Mr. President, whether or not I’m part of your slate, I will support you until the end of your term because I believe in your good governance),” Legarda told reporters.

“He said can you be there in our proclamation and I said yes, Mr. President,” she added.

And as promised, Legarda showed up at Monday’s proclamation of Aquino’s candidates in Greenhills, San Juan and absent at UNA’s gathering in Manila.

But after she filed her certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections, Legarda said she went to Vice President Jejomar Binay’s office but was unable to talk to him.

UNA is composed of Binay’s PDP-Laban and former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Legarda said her relationship with Binay was “very good,” saying she was grateful and has high respect for the Vice President.

She said she also spoke with Estrada over the phone and the latter assured her of his support in the upcoming elections.