Drilon endorses senatorial bid of 'real' Magsaysay

Senator Franklin Drilon on Thursday formally endorsed the senatorial bid of former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., whom he referred to as the "real Magsaysay."

 

"I would like to announce that I will personally endorse the candidacy of former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. as part of the LP Senate slate, ang tunay na Magsaysay, ang aming kandidato, si Ramon Magsaysay Jr.," Drilon said during the weekly forum at the Senate.

 

He said this endorsement is supported by Liberal Party president, Transportation Sec. Mar Roxas and LP vice president, Budget Sec. Butch Abad. Drilon is vice chair of LP. The ruling party's chairman is President Benigno Aquino III.

 

"[Magsaysay] has accepted the endorsement [but] of course the final ticket will be decided by the national council," Drilon said. Magsaysay served as senator from 1995 to 2007.

 

Newly-formed United Nationalist Alliance, a coalition between  Vice President Jejomar Binay's Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban and former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, will also be fielding another Magsaysay the 2013 polls, in the person of Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay.

 

Drilon, however, said he does not mean that Mitos was not a "real Magsaysay."

 

"Hindi ko sinasabi yun...wala akong sinasabi. [Pero] si Ramon Magsaysay Jr., anak siya ni President Magsaysay," he said.

 

"Yan ay subok na...ang tunay na magsaysay subok na. Magsaysay is my guy," he added.

 

Mitos is the daughter-in-law of former Zambales Gov. Vicente Magsaysay, who is a relative of former Sen. Magsaysay.

 

Aside from Mitos, UNA is likely to field former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, whistleblower Joey de Venecia, and incumbent senator Gregorio Honasan in the 2013 polls.

 

But Drilon said that even though the Liberal Party is still open to coalitions, he said he was not in favor of having guest candidates.

 

So far, he said he can confirm LP will be fielding Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV,  Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, and TESDA Chairman Joel Villanueva.

 

"Basically that's the ticket right now. I'm not in a position to give other names," he said. — RSJ, GMA News