Last Inquirer forum pits antidynasty pols, scions

Former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri of United Nationalist Alliance is the latest to sign up for the 3rd Inquirer Senate Forum in Cebu on Friday, which will center on the issue of political dynasties.

He will join other candidates with relatives in government office: Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, whose father is outgoing Sen. Edgardo Angara, and Bro. Eddie Villanueva, whose son Joel, a former congressman, is chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Agency. Grace Poe, like Angara one of the new faces of the Team PNoy coalition, is the daughter of the late presidential candidate and movie star Fernando Poe Jr.

Other candidates are Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño, Ang Kapatiran candidates Rizalito David and Ricardo Penson, and lawyer Samson Alcantara. All four are strongly against political dynasties.

With the participation of Zubiri, the son of Bukidnon Gov. Juan Zubiri Jr. and the younger brother of Bukidnon Rep. Juan Zubiri III, the number of candidates taking part in the Inquirer Senate Forum series reaches 23, about two-thirds of the 33 official candidates allowed to run by the Commission on Elections.

The third and last Inquirer forum, cosponsored by the Bosconian International Chamber of Commerce and Waterfront Cebu City, will start at 9:30 a.m. on Friday at the Cebu Cultural Center. It is open to the public and the media.