Friday, 13 April 2012 02:35

Written by Malou Tiquia

UNA’s power will lie in its vision, mission, and ability to put together a legislative agenda that actually makes serious the country’s bid to be a ‘first-world’ nation by 2022 (also known as the next presidential elections after 2016). The strategy to get there will have to be defined, and that is an opportunity for UNA. Once UNA makes clear its agenda for the next three years, surely voters will gravitate towards it.

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Wednesday, 11 April 2012 02:18

Written by Malou Tiquia

Tags: Zilch

Column writing is tedious especially with a hectic schedule, and with me running a company that is trying to build a regional presence. I used to write op-ed pieces for Good Morning Philippines, but there have been changes along the way; I had to stop doing THE LOBBYiST because my workload has brought me outside of the country too often. But now, I am again getting back the discipline to do my Zilch column in time for various issues percolating in the cauldron – from the Corona impeachment, to ‘noynoying’, to BSA3’s two years in office, to the reported witchhunt via opening of certain bank accounts, to the energy crisis in Mindanao, to the doubling of the Pantawid Gutom, to the impact of front loading funds, to being a lender nation, and then to an item on increasing debt.

I will tackle them later. But now let me focus on the black-ops done against Vice President Jojo Binay, immediately after Sen. Koko Pimentel’s announcement prior to the Holy Week that alliance is being formed, called the United Nationalist Alliance or UNA. I got three SMS from two lines starting Good Friday: One was about how the Vice President used the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. Two was about housing. And three was about how the Vice President, former President Estrada, and former President GMA are banding together for a coalition in 2013.

Since I was on ‘staycation’ in Manila, I received various SMS from friends asking if I got some texts from the VP. When I asked if it was the blast kind, they said yes. So, apparently, there were quite a few who got the messages. By afternoon of Black Saturday, the social media platforms were abuzz about the alleged text messages from the VP. I read one from a good friend condemning Binay about the blasts. Why the blasts? Simple. VP Binay just uncorked a news during one of the leanest newsday of the year, and it was carried several days until this week.

While sifting through the newspapers, I read, with trepidation, the reaction of the Liberal Party on the so-called coalition that the VP is putting up. The opening salvo was fired first by the Budget Secretary. Then there was an LP trial balloon on a possible team up with Senator Villar’s Nacionalista Party. Then, yesterday, we have the LP spokesman saying, “We are not threatened. The LP is more concerned at this time with party-building in provinces and municipalities.” An interesting revelation.

But however one views it, the names that UNA are considering are, at first glance, a combination of winnability, veterans and new faces with known names, geographically targeted and known bailiwicks, and unification of various political persuasions. Is it the opposition? In this country where there is no clear-cut opposition considering the Constitution allows for a multi-party system, it is quite hard to tell. And I don’t think it will be of import (bad for democracy though) unless there would be a reason for doing so by end of 2012.

It is interesting to point out that in the 2007 midterm elections, where the ‘opposition’ to PGMA garnered 10-2 seats, LP was part of UNO headed by then Mayor Jojo Binay. LP in UNO was rough sailing especially when it came to who was declared by COMELEC as predominant minority party. It was critical then because whoever gets the COMELEC nod will have a copy of the election return. And that is when the coalition started to shake at the most critical juncture of the campaign. At that time they were United Opposition, today UNA is different. The more they come out with the program of governance, the more they contrast themselves with the administration, and the easier to see who has vision and program.

To be continued

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