Sen. Gregorio Honasan II and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. FILE PHOTOS
Torn between two VPs?
Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile is rooting for Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan as a matter of party loyalty but would have no second thoughts about convincing fellow Ilocanos to vote for Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Enrile Thursday said he supports Honasan, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s running mate, being a member of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
“I am an UNA member. I have to support the candidate of my own party,” Enrile said at the Kapihan sa Senado forum.
Enrile was believed to be backing Marcos’ vice presidential bid after he attended the latter’s proclamation rally in Intramuros in October last year.
Ilocano stronghold
But Enrile admitted that he could not convince fellow Ilocanos to go for anyone else but their fellow Ilocano, which in this case is Marcos.
“Ilocanos are like that. When (an Ilocano) runs in the national level, they will vote for him,” he said.
In Enrile’s estimate, Marcos would get “no less than 70 percent” of the Ilocano vote, with Ilocano votes running “all the way from the north to Mindanao.”
The other day, a plunder complaint against Marcos was filed by the youth group Ibalik ang Bilyones ng Mamamayan for his alleged misuse of P205 million in pork barrel funds.
Asked to comment on the complaint, Enrile said the timing of its filing was “suspicious.”
“Why now … when this Ombudsman took over? When he was in the good graces of the administration, there was no effort to file a case against him. Why now that he is candidate in the elections and critical to the administration?” he said.
But Enrile did not think the complaint will derail Marcos’ chances at the vice presidential race.
“He will be elected even if he is in jail,” Enrile said of Marcos.
The plunder complaint against Marcos will even make Ilocanos more determined to vote for him, according to Enrile.
Honasan, for his part, said he appreciates Enrile’s support.
“I value any support, especially the support of Sen. Enrile,” Honasan said in a phone interview.
On Enrile’s statement that he would have a hard time convincing Ilocanos to vote for him because they would settle for a fellow Ilocano, Honasan said he hopes people would realize that “we are electing a president and a vice president for all Filipinos.”
“I’m sure all candidates have the best interest for our country at heart, whatever region they come from,” said Honasan, a Bicolano.