Slates forming for 2013 polls

Coalition politics will be the name of the game in 2013 with three mixed slates shaping up for the midterm electoral battle, according to National Unity Party executive director Reginald Velasco.

The new NUP, organized six months ago by former Lakas-Kampi members, is putting together a senatorial team to challenge the Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino III and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Velasco told the Philippine Daily Inquirer the NUP would come up with its own senatorial ticket led by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Pasig Representative Roman Romulo and Nueva Ecija Representative Rodolfo Antonino.

“We’re looking at a coalition slate and we expect to field between six and 12 candidates,” said Velasco.

Velasco would neither confirm nor deny  that the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manuel Villar was among the parties keen on an alliance.

“Coalition politics will be the name of the game and the NUP would provide a middle ground between the President’s LP and Binay’s PDP-Laban,” Velasco said.

The Commission on Elections is expected to begin accepting certificates of candidacy for the 2013 polls in October.

Even the LP is eyeing a coalition slate. An LP leader admitted it would be “unrealistic” to deploy a complete 12-member team filled exclusively with President  Aquino’s party mates.

“If we can field a complete LP Senate slate, that will be preferred. But realistically, that may not be possible. So coalition politics will be pursued,” said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr., the LP campaign manager in 2010,  in a text message.

“We have been in talks with the NP, PDP, NPC, some party-list groups and personalities not belonging to the major parties. But no commitments have been forged so far,” he said.

He said Transportation Secretary and LP president Mar Roxas and senior party officials had been meeting to firm up the LP’s lineup for both national and local positions, including what parties to join forces with.

Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, who is expected to run on  Binay’s ticket, said the  PDP-Laban was also moving toward a coalition.  Enrile is a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition. Gil Cabacungan Jr.

Originally posted: 1:07 am | Monday, April 2nd, 2012