CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Pres. Aquino has been urged to “ stop his cousin Bam Aquino and aunt Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, wife of uncle Jose ‘Peping” Cojuangco Jr. from pursuing their candidacies in the May 2013 senatorial elections.
In a press statement, the left-wing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said “Pres. Aquino should lead an example in fighting political dynasty by compelling his cousin and aunt to refrain from seeking elective posts next year.”
“In the name of the collective interest of the Filipino people, President Aquino should tell his cousin and his aunt to drop their ambitious desire to become senators of the Republic. It is easy as ABC only if Mr. Aquino is not obsessed in building his own political dynasty for his own selfish interest,” said Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France in the statement.
France noted that “the mid-term elections next year has become a derby for political dynasty with Alan Peter Cayetano, brother of incumbent Senator Pia Cayetano, JV Ejercito, brother of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Jackie Enrile, son of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Rep. Sonny Angara, son of outgoing senator Edgardo Angara and Nancy Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay joining the senatorial race.”
“We believe it is not the destiny of the Filipino people to be ruled by political dynasties and they want an end to this illegitimate, immoral and politically incorrect form of governance.
But President Aquino is not listening to the voice of the people,” France said.
France advised Bam Aquino and Tingting Cojuangco “to quit the senatorial elections next year as not one of them will receive votes from millions of farmers, fisherfolk, rural and urban poor displaced by the current policies and programs of the Aquino administration.”
“Mr. Aquino will fail to mobilize votes for his beloved cousin and aunt. So we advise him to just drop his cousin and his aunt like hot potatoes, nothing more, nothing less,” France added.
Earlier, Pamalakaya slammed Comelec chairman Sixto Brillante and other election commissioners for allegedly “committing an impeachable offense by ignoring the disqualification case it filed against Akbayan party list which it described as a “mere stooge of Malacañang.”
“The evidence showing this party is not marginalized and is in fact a party in power is so strong and beyond reasonable doubt, but Comelec does not want to catch the ire of President Aquino that’s why this Palace-backed party list group is not disqualified,” the group said.
France said he was “puzzled why Malacañang and Comelec never recognized the fact Akbayan officers and members are currently holding various government positions including cabinet-level positions.”
“This shows that the party list group is not marginalized but a party in power sharing the limelight with traditional political groups like Liberal Party and those in the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA),” France also said.
Pamalakaya noted that “Ronald Llamas, former Akbayan president is now serving as political affairs adviser of the President, Etta Rosales, former Akbayan president and party list representative now chairs the Commission on Human Rights, Joel Rocamora, former Akbayan
president now heads the National Anti-Poverty Commission, Percival Cendena, former Akbayan chairperson is not commissioner-at-large of the National Youth Commission.”
The group also noted that Akbayan’s second nominee Barry Gutierrez is Malacañang’s undersecretary for political affairs, Akbayan’s third nominee Angelina Ludovice-Katoh is a commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.
Pamalakaya urged other qualified party list group to question the participation of Akbayan in the May 2013 elections.
“We should explore other venues aside from Comelec. The decision of Comelec allowing this highly questionable party list to run in 2013 elections is a gross political prostitution and triple platinum mockery of the party list system,” the group said.
