No stopping Zubiri from joining UNA

Former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Former Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said there was no stopping him from joining the United Nationalist Alliance (Una)—and most likely its 2013 senatorial slate—despite protests from Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who described his addition as a “thorn” in the political coalition.

Zubiri on Tuesday confirmed that he would take his oath as a member of former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party at the Club Filipino in San Juan at 10 a.m. this Thursday.

The PMP has joined forces with the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) of Pimentel to form Una.

Zubiri, who resigned from the Senate last year shortly before an electoral tribunal declared Pimentel the rightful winner in the 2007 senatorial election, sought to downplay his oath-taking, saying he did not want to sound “over confident.”

An erstwhile ally of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Zubiri confirmed that he was indeed joining the PMP.

“Tuloy na tuloy na,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday by phone. “It’s a done deal.”

Zubiri apparently has his eyes set on the Una senatorial slate in next year’s mid-term elections.

He served as a senator for four years since he was proclaimed winner of the 12th and final slot in the 2007 senatorial election. But Pimentel contested the result before the Senate Electoral Tribunal, Zubiri stepped down on Aug. 3, 2011.

Told about Zubiri’s scheduled oath-taking on Thursday, Pimentel expressed his dismay in a series of text messages.

“PDP-Laban does not wish to interfere with the internal developments within PMP, but since we are now coalition partners, I was hoping they would be more sensitive to the sentiment of their partner,” said Pimentel, the party president.

“There are still remedies within the coalition. But they just added a thorn in the relationship.”

Zubiri gave no categorical response when asked if his joining the PMP included an agreement that he would also be part of the Una senatorial lineup. He said: “I suggest you ask the party leadership.”

In previous interviews, Estrada had told the Inquirer he was open to getting Zubiri as an Una senatorial bet despite his long association with Arroyo. He said the only condition was that erstwhile Arroyo allies should not have been linked to any corruption scandal during her regime.

Estrada said questions about the admission of Arroyo people in Una—including Zubiri’s case—would be settled by top coalition leaders. They are Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, and Estrada.