Comelec accredits UNA as official coalition

Rappler.com

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Comelec has approved the application of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political coalition for the May 13, 2013 elections

MANILA, Philippines – It’s official: the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is now an accredited political coalition.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved on Tuesday, June 19, the application of UNA as a political coalition for the May 13, 2013 elections.

UNA is an alliance between the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former President Joseph Estrada, and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

In a 7-page resolution, the First Division of the poll body stated that the newly-accredited coalition was able to meet the requirements set by the Omnibus Election Code and the Comelec Rules of Procedure.

“Gauging from the guidelines enumerated and taking into consideration the contents of their petition… it so holds that UNA has successfully complied with the requirements for registration of political parties, or coalition of political parties,” the resolution said.

Senatorial slate

Even before the accreditation, people behind UNA were already working on its senatorial slate for 2013. By June, the coalition already announced its initial set of senatorial bets:

  1. Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, PDP-Laban president
  2. Joey de Venecia, PDP-Laban executive vice president
  3. Cagayan Rep Juan Ponce “Jackie” Enrile Jr, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
  4. San Juan Rep Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, PMP and Estrada’s son
  5. Sen Gregorio Honasan II
  6. resigned Sen Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri
  7. Zambales Rep Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay
  8. Cebu Gov Gwen Garcia

 
There have been reports, however, that Pimentel might now run under President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party (LP) due to the inclusion of Zubiri.

Probable opposition

The accreditation of UNA, however, might face opposition from another political coalition that carried the same acronym. The United Negros Alliance, also called UNA, has earlier said it will question before the Comelec the name of the Binay-led coaltion.

The provincial-based UNA, which is composed of new members and old politicians from the vote-rich Negros Occidental, was sworn in as new allies of Aquino’s Liberal Party.

LP, which is also discussing its senatorial slate by now, and the Binay-led UNA are expected to go up against each other in the midterm polls. – Rappler.com

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