Jack Enrile loses in NPC territories

MANILA, Philippines – United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Jack Enrile lost in many of the bailiwicks of his own party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), results of the 2013 polls show.

Sought for explanation, Enrile’s campaign manager Johnny Garcia told Rappler they are still “studying the pattern,” referring to the “60-30-10” formula uncovered by an Ateneo math professor that supposedly shows systematic cheating in the polls.

At least 3 provinces are considered major NPC bailiwicks: Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Negros Occidental. Enrile did not make it to the so-called Magic 12 in these 3 provinces.

Fellow NPC party member Sen Loren Legarda, a re-electionist, ranked 3rd in all 3 vote-rich provinces. The other party member NPC campaigned for is independent candidate Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn.  

Enrile ranked 13th in Pangasinan, where former Rep Mark Cojuangco, son of party founder Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr, is the party chairman. NPC walloped the ruling Liberal Party (LP) in the province. It won the Capitol, 4 out of 6 legislative districts, and 33 out of 48 mayoral races. (WATCH: NPC shows force, sweeps LP in Pangasinan)

In Tarlac, he also ranked 13th. This is the province where Danding Cojuangco comes from. His brother Enrique “Henry” Cojuangco is the party chairman there. 

Enrile also ranked 13th in Negros Occidental, the home province of Danding’s wife Gretchen and where Danding relocated since his return from exile in 1991. Enrile was among the 7 candidates that NPC carried in the province.

NPC lost the gubernatorial race in the province. Garcia said this could explain the poor showing of Enrile in the province. The winning candidate is a former NPC stalwart.

NPC spokesperson Rex Gatchalian said the party members campaigned for the 3 candidates. “I cannot give a sweeping reason as to why Jack Enrile didn’t fair as well in NPC areas as Senator Loren did, as each locality has different situations, circumstances, and local conditions,” Gatchalian told Rappler when he was sought to explain the failure of the party to deliver votes for Enrile. 

“One thing I’m certain though is, the NPC machinery worked very hard for our 3 national candidates – Senator Loren, Jack Enrile, and Mayor Ed Hagedorn,” Gatchalian added.

Aside from the 3 provinces, NPC considers 9 other provinces as its bailiwicks – Valenzuela City, South Cotabato, Samar, Masbate, Zamboanga del Sur, Isabela, Bohol, Batangas, and Quezon.

Enrile only made it to the “Magic 12” in 3 of these provinces: Masbate, Zamboanga del Sur, and Isabela. 

Enrile peaked as high as 3rd most preferred candidate in the Pulse Asia survey released in September 2012. He earlier benefitted from the rock star image that his father, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, gained because of his perceived impartiality in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

But Jack’s numbers went down when the public suddenly turned sour on his father. The Senate President’s popularity plunged in January at the height of his televised quarrel with fellow senators over the P1.6 million “cash gifts” he gave to favored senators.

Jack Enrile ranked 14th in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) final tally with 11.4 millon total votes.

In the older Enrile’s resignation speech as Senate President on Wednesday, June 5, he lamented how the issue against him over the handling of Senate funds was used to sabotage the campaign of his son and namesake. – Rappler.com