UNA ally in Leyte won’t back sortie no-shows

TACLOBAN, Philippines—A local ally of the United Nationalist Alliance in Baybay, Leyte has decided to support only four senatorial bets from the group during the campaign.

Mayoral candidate Marilou Galenzoga told reporters in a chance interview at the Tacloban airport on Wednesday that she has decided to carry only the four UNA candidates who had shown up or had sent proxies to the group’s rally in Baybay on Monday night, which she noted was very well-attended.

The four candidates are Nancy Binay, Richard Gordon, Milagros Magsaysay, and Ernesto Maceda. Binay and Gordon were personally present at the rally, while Magsaysay and Maceda sent their sons Anton and Erwin as their proxies.

Magsaysay and Maceda were in Cebu Monday night to support the candidacy of Gwen Garcia, who is running as Cebu representative.

Galenzoga also said she would rather not support other senatorial candidates from UNA’s rival Team PNoy even if she would no longer carry all of the UNA candidates. She said some people had asked her if she would be free to support other senatorial bets.

Other UNA bets also visited Leyte on Monday, but skipped the rally in Baybay.

Jack Enrile visited Baybay earlier Monday, but went to Ormoc in the evening. Joseph Victor Ejercito was also in Leyte earlier that day, but did not go to Baybay.

UNA sources said some of the candidates had not joined the Baybay rally because they had personal ties with Galenzoga’s rival, incumbent Baybay Mayor Carmen Cari.

Enrile told reporters Tuesday that Cari was his friend, but said that was not the reason he was not in Baybay. He said he had commitments in Ormoc.

He also said it cannot be avoided that some UNA candidates would break off from the group’s sorties to visit other provinces because they have their own bailiwicks they have to protect. But he said UNA candidates will converge for the major venues.