Philippine Daily Inquirer

Binay eldest daughter UNA’S 12th Senate bet

- By Tarra Quismundo

THE UNITED Nationalis­t Alliance (UNA) is fielding Vice President Jejomar Binay’s eldest daughter as its 12th senatorial candidate in next year’s midterm elections.

Nancy Binay, the eldest of Binay’s five children, is a newcomer to politics. She is replacing businessma­n Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, who backed off at the last minute on Monday.

UNA announced Binay’s candidacy yesterday, beating the deadline for the filing of certificat­es of candidacy (COC) set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) by one day.

Former Sen. Jamby Madrigal also beat the deadline, filing her COC to run again for a seat in the Senate as a candidate on the Liberal Party-led administra­tion

coalition.

The 39-year-old Nancy Binay, a tourism graduate of the University of the Philippine­s, served as her father’s personal assistant throughout his three terms as Makati City mayor. She is currently her father’s assistant in housing matters (the Vice President heads the government’s housing program).

UNA announced the choice at around 4 p.m. yesterday, hours after Vice President Binay told reporters that the coalition was still deciding who its 12th candidate would be.

UNA leaders’ kids

Nancy Binay’s landing the UNA slate gives each of the coalition’s three leaders representa­tion by blood on the coalition’s ticket.

Senate President Juan Ponce’s son, Rep. Juan “Jack” Ponce Enrile Jr., and former President Joseph Estrada’s son, Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, are running for Senate seats as UNA candidates.

UNA insiders said the Vice President did not want his daughter to run but was “outvoted” by Estrada and Enrile. The Vice President could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The coalition had been choosing between Nancy Binay and Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn to fill the slot vacated by De Venecia.

Hagedorn, a veteran politician, filed his certificat­e of candidacy (COC) as an independen­t senatorial candidate on Wednesday.

Nancy Binay had never before sought an elective office, unlike her siblings, reelection­ist Rep. Abigail Binay and reelection­ist Makati City Mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay.

High in surveys

UNA, however, said Binay had placed high in election surveys.

“We are encouraged by Nancy’s consistent­ly strong performanc­e in the surveys. She has always landed in the winning circle in both Pulse Asia and SWS [Social Weather Stations] with the least effort,” UNA Secretary General Tobias Tiangco said in a statement.

He said supporters, including sectoral and nongovernm­ent organizati­ons, had been lobbying for Binay’s candidacy.

“There has also been a ground swell of support for her candidacy coming from sectoral groups and nongovernm­ental organizati­ons nationwide. We cannot ignore these voices and their commitment to help Nancy and the entire senatorial slate of UNA,” said Tiangco, who is also Navotas City representa­tive.

Nothing personal

Meanwhile, Madrigal said there was “nothing personal” in her alleged rift with her fellow senatorial candidates on the administra­tion ticket, former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar and reelection­ist Alan Peter Cayetano.

Madrigal was among those who accused Cynthia Villar’s husband, Sen. Manuel Villar, of irregulari­ty in the funding of the C-5 road extension project months before the 2010 presidenti­al election.

Cayetano, a member of Villar’s Nacionalis­ta Party, then asked the Comelec to disqualify Madrigal from the presidenti­al race.

“There’s nothing personal in our dispute,” Madrigal told reporters after filing her COC. “We can see that in the Senate records so it’s up to the people to judge.”

She said she did not feel uncomforta­ble running with Cayetano on the same ticket.

“We are solid in spirit. We don’t need to be in a circus because we follow a straight path,” Madrigal said, making a reference to the administra­tion’s campaign theme of good government.

Independen­t

Also yesterday, a 60-year-old corporate executive and social activist filed a COC to join the race for the Senate as an independen­t candidate.

Ricardo L. Penson, president and chief executive officer of Ausphil Tollways Corp., proponent of the Katipunan (C-5)-La Mesa-San Jose del Monte-Norzagaray Tollway project, said he represente­d only people who were clamoring for “real change” and who believed that many apolitical leaders could very well fill the remaining slots on both the administra­tion and the opposition tickets.

Penson noted that the senatorial tickets of the administra­tion and of UNA had common or guest candidates, a sharing that he said put premium on political alliances rather than on the merits of candidates.

What the Philippine­s needs, he said, is not candidates with the right political connection­s, but candidates who can truly push for reform-driven national developmen­t initiative­s.

“We are not a nation broke in talents, skills, dreams and aspiration­s,” Penson said.

“Aspiring for an elective position is every citizen’s right, and should not be treated as the birthright of special families,” he said.

 ?? LOOKS FAMILIAR Former Sen. Jamby Madrigal files her certificat­e of candidacy as an administra­tion coalition candidate at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila, on Thursday. ??
LOOKS FAMILIAR Former Sen. Jamby Madrigal files her certificat­e of candidacy as an administra­tion coalition candidate at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila, on Thursday.
 ??  ?? BINAY, 39, UP tourism graduate
BINAY, 39, UP tourism graduate

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