Aquino party hit for ‘double standard’

Rep. Tobias Tiangco. SENATE POOL FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—While United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) secretary-general and Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco on Thursday maintained that the coalition has nothing against President Benigno Aquino III’s introduction of Liberal Party candidates in Cebu, he did lambast how their candidates were being hit for early campaigning when the ruling party was doing the same.

“The President is free to do whatever he wants to do,” he said in a phone interview, adding that introducing candidates for the midterm elections at this time was “valid, legal.”

“There is no such thing as premature campaigning,” Tiangco said, but added “it is very ironic that (UNA) is being hit for something that the Liberal Party is also doing.”

UNA senatorial bets already have a television ad running and have been busy visiting various provinces ahead of the campaign period.

“Maaga kami na nangangampanya dahil kailangan namin na maaga. Sabi nga nila, daig ng maagap ang masipag. Wala kaming laban sa makinarya ng LP, sa government funds. Tatapatan namin iyan ng sipag,” said Tiangco.

But while he admitted that UNA has to step up its campaigns in a bid to beat the ruling party’s candidates, Tiangco noted that some LP candidates were not doing so well in pre-election surveys. These candidates have a lot more to prove, he said.