Chiz, Tingting complete UNA's senatorial slate

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has decided to include Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and former Tarlac governor Margarita “Tingting" Cojuangco in its senatorial slate for 2013, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Thursday.   "In so far as UNA is concerned, we are including him [Escudero] in his slate," Binay told reporters after the Liga ng mga Barangay National Convention in Pasay City.   As for Cojuangco, aunt of President Benigno Aquino III, Binay said it is “99.9 percent” that she will be included, too.   On why they were not 100 percent sure that Cojuangco would be included, Binay said: "Mahirap naman lagi. Kahit sa anumang project at programa, there is always a margin of error. Baka sakaling hindi matuloy."   Cojuangco is the wife of UNA vice president and former congressman Jose “Peping" Cojuangco Jr., brother of Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.   Escudero and Cojuangco will complete UNA’s 12 senatorial candidates, the coalition between Binay's Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).   UNA had earlier confirmed the inclusion of Sen. Loren Legarda and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe Llamanzares in its slate.   Binay said he was not bothered by rumors that Legarda met with Aquino, who heads the ruling Liberal Party.   "Basta si Senator Legarda, kandidato siya ng UNA. Na sa UNA siya sasama," he said, adding the lady senator has agreed to go with them during the campaign.   He said they would have the same arrangement for Escudero and Llamanzares since both of them will also likely be adopted by LP.   Binay, however, said they will not require Llamanzares to join their campaign if LP would not allow her to. "Patakaran na ho nila [LP] ‘yan. Pero wala naman hong magbabago sa amin, gagawin namin siyang kandidato."   But although Llamanzares has been mentioned by LP as a probable senatorial bet, she said she has yet to receive any final instructions from Aquino.   The other UNA senatorial bets whose inclusion in the slate have earlier been announced are Senator Gregorio Honasan; former senators Ernesto Maceda, Richard Gordon, and Juan Miguel Zubiri; San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito; Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile; Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay;  and NBN-ZTE whistleblower Joey de Venecia. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News