Aquino campaigns for Team PNoy but remains concentrated on Sabah crisis

PRESIDENT Aquino . INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines–President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday joined the campaign trail of Team PNoy senatorial bets here despite the ongoing tension in Sabah.

The President, who arrived around 12:30 p.m., remained “concentrated” though on the events in Sabah even if he was here to campaign for his candidates, team campaign manager and Senator Franklin Drilon told reporters here.

“Nandito si President pero hindi ibig sabihin, hindi nya binibigyan ng kaukulang pansin. Talagang concentrated sya ngayon sa mga problema sa Sabah (The President joined us here but that doesn’t mean he’s not thinking of the Sabah crisis. He’s really concentrating on the Sabah problem),” Drilon said.

“He continues to be President, performing all the jobs that must be performed as head of (the state) kaya huwag po mag-alala ang ating mga kababayan. Hindi po pinababayaan ang anumang aspeto ng panunungkulan ng ating Pangulo (so the people should not worry. The President is doing his job as chief executive),” he added.

Seven senatorial beats – re-electionist Senators Loren Legarda and Aquilino Pimentel III, former Senators Jamby Madrigal and Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara, former Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros and presidential cousin Bam Aquino – showed up at a rally held at the city’s gym.

Absent were re-electionist Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano, former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar and  former MTRCB chair Grace Poe.

Trillanes was represented by wife, Arlene, while Poe was represented by her son, Bryan.

Escudero’s video message, on the other hand, was played on stage.

The team was in Tacurong City, Tupi and Polomolok, South Cotabato Tuesday and held three separate sorties there.

From General Santos, the team will then proceed to Davao to conclude its three-day campaign trail in the region.