Honasan running under ‘unity slate’

Sen. Gregorio Honasan

Envisioning a “unity slate” for the 2013 midterm elections, reelectionist Senator Gregorio Honasan said on Monday that he would be running on the senatorial slate being formed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President Joseph Estrada.

In a phone interview, Honasan said he was “happy” that he and the Vice President shared his advocacies.

“I’ve been independent. If political parties and coalitions adopt me, I would be happy,” said Honasan, disclosing that he and Binay talked last month on political mergers and coalition-building ahead of the senatorial race.

“We welcome the offer (to join the Binay slate). We believe in the same advocacies—overseas Filipino workers, poverty alleviation, housing and youth,” said Honasan.

However, the reelectionist senator was quick to clarify that his entry into the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA) was not indicative of his vote in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“It will not. I’m sure the Vice President is very well aware of that. The verdict of the senator-judges will have very, very little bearing on the coming elections in 2013,” he said.

The Vice President may have qualms about the removal of Corona from the high bench since it would entail a changing of the guard in the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), which the Chief Justice chairs.

Binay’s narrow lead (720,000 votes) over former Senator Manuel Roxas II in the vice presidential election in 2010 is now the subject of an electoral protest lodged by the latter with PET.

Roxas, now transportation and communications secretary, was President Benigno Aquino III’s running mate, while Binay ran in tandem with Estrada during the last elections.

Other reelectionist senators set to be part of the UNA ticket are Senators Aquilino Pimentel III (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan), Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada (Partido ng Masang Pilipino) and Francis Escudero (independent).

Senators Loren Legarda (Nationalist People’s Coalition) and Alan Peter Cayetano (Nacionalista Party) are being courted, as well, while Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, an ally of President  Aquino, will run on the Liberal Party  senatorial ticket.