UNA senatorial slate resumes AC sorties

Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) resumed sorties in Angeles City, February 20, its first coalition-organized public meeting for its senatorial slate in Luzon.

Vice-mayorable candidate Mark Allen Sison said on Tuesday that it’s all-systems go for the UNA as Binay, Estrada and Enrile, considered as Big Three endorsers of the party, formally endorsed the coalition’s senatorial bets in the midterm 2013 elections to the Angeleño voters.

Sison said that UNA is thankful for the overwhelming support of the Angeleños especially the assistance of Angeles City Public Market Vendors Federation and Thunders which they have given to UNA senatorial slate led by Nancy Binay, Tingting Cojuangco, JV Ejercito, Jack Enrile, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Ernesto Maceda, Mitos Magsaysay and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

”We’re so thankful for the support of my Cabalen and the Vice President. UNA is very honored and proud to have its first assembly here in Central Luzon,” he noted.

UNA secretary general and Navotas Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco said his group cannot be accused of premature campaigning because there is no such thing under the law. “We are not violating any law. We are doing what is legal.”

The Comelec has conceded that there is no law against premature campaigning. The poll body cited a Supreme Court decision saying that those seeking elective posts are only considered candidates at the start of the campaign period.

Yet, advocacy groups have launched the “anti-epal” campaign in an effort to monitor and shame politicians caught prematurely campaigning, and plastering their faces on government projects.

UNA is a coalition between Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph Estrada’s PMP. It is the self-styled “constructive opposition” to the Aquino administration.

By: Headline Gitnang Luzon

Lazatin supporters file raps vs Pamintuan personnel

Ten individuals, who are supporters of Representative Carmelo Lazatin, have filed illegal arrest and physical injuries against personnel of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

Lazatin's supporters were arrested and allegedly harassed and threatened by Pamintuan's allies and men led by Jesse Eres, head of the Angeles City Entertainment Promotion Office (Acepo).

Charged were Eres, other Acepo officers, and officials from the Angeles City Police Station 4 located in Barangay Balibago.

The 10 individuals were arrested by City Traffic Aides on February 3 in Barangay Balibago here while distributing flyers, containing joint affidavit hitting the mayor in connection with the job orders issue at the City Government.

The 10 were taken to the Acepo, where they were reportedly harassed by Acepo personnel and even threatened by Eres.

According to reports, at least two of the apprehended individuals were "strangled" by Acepo personnel.

Eres reportedly told the apprehended individuals, "Papate da ka, ugse da ka Abacan, bayaran dakang P200,000 (I will have you killed, I'll throw you off Abacan (bridge), I'll pay P200,000 for you).”

The apprehended individuals were then transferred to Station 4 where all 10 of them, two of whom are minors, were detained for almost seven hours.

They were identified as Roger Sumala, Jeffrey Sumala, Yoshiko Canque, Princess Gopez, Kristina Arceo, John Michael Delusa, Nicole Ramos, Paolo Sumala, and two minors.

The flyers being distributed by the apprehended individuals contain the joint statement issued by village councilmen William David (Barangay Lourdes Northwest), Roy Ogurida (Barangay Cutcut), Renato Coronel (Barangay Salapungan), Nenita Ferrer (Barangay Margot), and Oliver Chaneco (Barangay Santo Domingo) assailing the Pamintuan administration for the alleged inclusion of the names of the village officials' relatives in the list of the job order employees without their knowledge.

Eres denied threatening to kill one of the arrested persons. He said it is not in his personality to have someone killed.

by Reynaldo Navales