Drilon ‘taking credit away’ from LP bets over ‘Aquino factor’, says UNA spokesman

Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Were the latest results of the Pulse Asia Survey indicative of the Filipinos’ confidence in President Benigno Aquino III and his team?

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) begs to differ.

UNA secretary general and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview that Senator Franklin Drilon’s statement on LP candidates’ ranking in the “magic 12” took credit away from the candidates’ personal track records.

“I am not saying that there is no relation, the [endorsement of the] President is a partial factor… but that is taking credit [away] from the candidates themselves [saying they got into the magic 12] just because of the President,” he said.

In trying to gauge the confidence of the people in Aquino, Tiangco said that there was a “direct question” on the President’s performance.

Drilon, the ruling party’s campaign manager, said that seven of those in the LP senatorial slate, including Legarda and Escudero, made it into the “magic 12” was an indication of the people’s confidence in the administration party.

But no original LP member made it to the twelve spots, said the UNA official.

Legarda and Escudero, who took the top two spots, are common candidates of the LP and UNA.

Former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chief Grace Poe-Llamanzares is also a common candidate of the two coalitions.

“They cannot say seven, ask the three [shared candidates] first where they really belong [because] they are considered, even by the survey, as common candidates,” he said.

Five of UNA’s exclusive senatorial candidates made it to the “magic 12”, he said.

Nancy Binay, the daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, ranked fourth and was followed by San Juan City Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito Estrada, son of former President Joseph Estrada.

Former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri took the tenth spot and reelectionist Senator Gregorio Honasan took the twelfth place.