UNA bets press flesh early in Binay, Enrile bailiwick

ILAGAN CITY—While President Benigno Aquino and senatorial candidates of the Liberal Party (LP) visited Cebu on Wednesday, candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) were busy visiting Northern Luzon to get a feel of the bailiwicks of their leaders.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, one of UNA’s leaders, was absent but Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile took the lead in introducing the candidates in visits to Isabela towns, although the official campaign period for national candidates has yet to start.

Binay traces his roots to Isabela while Enrile is a native of Cagayan. Enrile’s son, Juan Jr. or “Jack,” is the incumbent representative of Cagayan’s first district and is running for senator under the UNA. Binay’s daughter, Nancy, is also in UNA’s senatorial ticket.

A son of the third UNA leader, former President Joseph Estrada, San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, is also seeking a Senate seat under the UNA.

The UNA candidates visited the towns of Cabagan and Tumauini and the cities of Cauayan, Ilagan and Santiago on Wednesday and met with their local supporters.

Enrile said the May elections will give people a preview of the presidential elections in 2016, where the UNA, under the leadership of Binay, is expected to face the LP.

Binay had earlier announced that he would seek the presidency in 2016, after Mr. Aquino steps down from office. The LP, on the other hand, has not announced its standard bearer for 2016.

“This is only a prelude to the 2016 elections as we expect a [fight between] the UNA and the other party (LP) come 2016,” said Enrile.

“It is high time that we [elect] a president who comes from our region, much more from Isabela. Do you like [this scenario]?” Enrile said in his speech, drawing cheers from UNA’s supporters and local leaders.

Enrile said he would do his best to help Binay, an Ibanag from Cabagan town, become the country’s next president in 2016.

Enrile and the UNA candidates were met by Gov. Faustino Dy III and his brother, Rep. Napoleon Dy, in this Isabela capital.

UNA candidates Ejercito, Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, former Tarlac Gov. Margarita Cojuangco, former Senators Ernesto Maceda and Miguel Zubiri, and Nancy Binay took turns in sharing their precampaign pitches.

Without directly pitching their candidacies and seeking votes, they talked about their proposed programs and pieces of legislation concerning education, livelihood, health, local governance, peace, public order and countryside development.

It was Maceda, the oldest UNA candidate at 77, who was noticed by the more than 2,000 local officials and residents gathered here when he danced to the tune of the popular ditty, “Gangnam Style.”

In Cauayan City, Mayor Benjamin Dy welcomed the UNA team late Wednesday afternoon. In Santiago City, Enrile also danced the “Gangnam Style” with other UNA candidates and local bets, led by Dr. Maximin Navarro.

Some residents, however, observed that despite denials of UNA leaders that they were already campaigning, what happened in the Isabela visit was nothing but a campaign sortie.

“Their speeches are publicly and literally understood as campaign propaganda, no more no less,” said resident Johnny Reniedo.

The UNA candidates came from Cagayan on Tuesday and visited Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya on Thursday.  Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon