LP bets prefer social media than going to political rallies

MANILA, Philippines — Candidates from the administration’s senatorial ticket will be going to less political rallies to keep its expenses low during the campaign period, one of its senatorial bets said on Tuesday.

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara told reporters during a media forum that they will be going to less rallies for the 2013 midterm elections “since rallies are expensive. They want to take advantage of the new media, social media and mass media.”

“We will have less rallies than before,” he said, adding that aside from deciding that it will not waste funds on excessive rallies, the LP leadership has yet to determine a slogan as well as a name for the coalition.

The Aurora lawmaker, who is running as a bet from the LP-LDP (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino) coalition, said that the administration party is expected to cover common expenses like those for transportation and food as the group heading the coalition.

And although President Benigno Aquino III is not required to attend every function held by the coalition, Angara said that his “push” for certain candidates will mean a lot. “We have a popular President who has managed to earn the people’s trust. His support will mean a lot.”

Although admitting that it was way “too early for a fearless forecast,”he mentioned that he felt seven to eight members from their coalition could win in next year’s polls. “But that is subject to change, surveys are just snapshots for a certain period. We all need to work hard in conveying the coalition’s message and ensuring that the people understand our platform.”

Reacting to comments saying that there a no new faces in the administration lineup, he asked whether the President’s cousin Bam Aquino and MTRCB chairman Grace Poe-Llamanzares were not new faces to politics. “I can speak for our slate, we have new faces and new ideas for our platform.”

The lawmaker further defended other fellow senatorial bets as having good track records in the government. “They are not trapo (traditional politicians), they are performing politicians.”

On being himself part of a political family, Angara said that there should be “no free rides” for candidates coming from political families. “Let’s not give the candidates a free ride. Let’s not vote for them just based on their names.”

“I don’t want someone to vote for me just because my last name is Angara. I want them to look at my record at Congress, what I have done and what I am capable of,” he said.