Group bids for a Waray senator

TACLOBAN CITY—A newly formed group is mounting a campaign for voters in Eastern Visayas and those whose roots are from the region to unite and elect a Waray senator in next year’s general elections.

The Waray in the Senate Movement aims to elect a senator from Eastern Visayas, now considered the country’s poorest region after it was pummeled by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) on Nov. 8, 2013.

“We’ll stand up and defend our candidates not because of their (political) parties but because we want our region to be represented in the Senate,” said businessman Raymundo Junia, of Tolosa, Leyte province, who is the group’s main convenor.

Eastern Visayas, with more than 2.4 million voting population, has not produced a senator for more than 50 years now. The last was Decoroso Rosales, of Calbayog City in Samar province, who was elected in 1955.

Among the region’s current crop of politicians who are “viable” enough to run for Senate seats are former Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and outgoing Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Incidentally, the two politicians belong to families that are considered Leyte’s closest political rivals.

Romualdez, who belong to Lakas-CMD, and Petilla, an ally of President Aquino, have signified interest to seek a Senate seat. But Junia said political biases should be set aside if the region wants to see someone, or the two of them, becoming senators.

“We know our candidates better. Their hearts belong to the region. It is not Manila. Our campaign focuses on what the region needs and what they could do for the region,” Junia said.

Aside from convincing homegrown voters, the Waray in the Senate Movement will also campaign for those with roots from the region who are now residing in other parts of the country.

“There are lots of us Warays in Manila and across the country. Even Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte traces his roots to Southern Leyte and the mother of Manny Pacquiao has a Waray blood,” Junia said.

Of the three Visayas regions, only Eastern Visayas has no representative at the Senate. Central and Western Visayas have Senators Serge Osmeña III, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Franklin Drilon.

Junia said he hoped celebrities from Eastern Visayas would join his group’s campaign. Among them are talent manager and television host Boy Abunda, who is from Borongan City, and teen actor Daniel Padilla, whose mother, Karla Estrada, is from Tacloban City. Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas