Uno's Eight

February 01, 2007 07:28 PM Thursday
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UNO'S EIGHT
By: Bernadette E. Tamayo with Alex T. Silva

United Opposition fills up eight slots in senatorial slate; question mark hovers over ‘reserved’ four THE United Opposition yesterday announced the completion of its senatorial lineup after filling up eight of the 12 slots with former senator Loren Legarda, incumbent Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, House Minority Leader Francis Escudero, Rep. Benigno ‘’Noynoy’’ Aquino, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, ex-senator John Osmena and lawyer Aquilino Pimentel III, son of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. The four remaining slots in the opposition senatorial slate are “reserved” for members of the Wednesday Group, Lacson said yesterday. The Wednesday Group members are Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan and Senators Joker Arroyo and Ralph Recto. However, their names were left out when the UNO lineup was announced. Asked what happened, Lacson said: “Iyon ang ’di ko alam kasi ’di naman ako nag-de decide kung sino kasama o hindi. “Siguro hindi lang sila na formally na inpormahan na mag-aanunsyo. Baka yun lang. Siguro out of respect sa kanila na di pa sila nasabihan na mag-aanunsyo itong sa araw na ito ay di pa sila nasama muna,” Lacson said. “Di pa sila laglag, masasama sila. Ako na nga ang nagsasabi, masasama sila,” he stressed. When asked about reports that he was the cause of the delay in announcing the four other candidates because he was nowhere to be found, Arroyo said: ”Bakit ako ang dahilan? I’m at a loss now with these developments.” Villar also seemed perplexed. Asked whether he believed that the four slots were indeed reserved for them, he said:”Well, baka. Di ko alam.” “Honestly I have to talk to (Makati Mayor) Jojo (Binay) on this. Liliwanagin ko muna. Iyung mga pangalan na nabanggit ay mga kaibigan natin. At di naman ako uncomfortable sa mga pangalan na nabanggit,” Villar said.He added: ”Pero talagang ako’y naniniwala na itong linyahan na ito’y mangyayari ’pag malapit na ang filing at ano mang bali-balita ngayon ay pawang premature pa ‘yan at ’di pa final.” “Matibay ang paniniwala ng Nacionalista Party na kung kinakailangan, ang Nacionalista Party kayang tumayong mag-isa. Makikipag-alliance kami with other groups. Pwedeng magsama-sama yan sa takdang oras,” he added.

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