Lagging in surveys, UNA changes political campaign strategy

PAMPANGA - In an apparent bid to catch up with the Liberal Party's (LP) reported lead, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has decided to change its campaign strategy for the 2013 elections. In an interview with reporters on Saturday, UNA senatorial candidate Juan Miguel Zubiri said their party has agreed to try a different campaign strategy. For one, he said they will lessen rallies where all of their candidates are present to save time and energy. "Magkakaroon po kami ng dalawang teams, dalawang grupo para siguro mas mobile, mas marami po tayong mapupuntahang probinsya," he said, adding that they may also consider splitting into three groups and just converging during a major rally. "Siyempre pag isang group lang kami siyam kami nagsasalita matagal po aabot ng dalawa, tatlong oras na pwede naman po tayo magmotorcade sa ibang bayan," he said. "So after our Mindanao sorties ay magkakaroon ng ganoong klaseng mobility na iikot na po kami bayan-bayan [baka] motorcades groups of three," he added. Aside from this change, UNA had also earlier announced that Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, despite being a member of a party coalesced with the administration, will be joining them as its deputy campaign manager. "Hirap na hirap na daw si [campaign manager and Navotas Rep.] Toby [Tiangco] namumuti na raw buhok niya.  Wala na akong nakikitang itim sa buhok niya," said Zubiri. "Siyempre stressed din yan kami nga kandidato hirap na hirap siyam kami siyamag-isa lang bilang campaign manager," he added. Tapping vote-rich provinces Zubiri, along with fellow senatorial bets Mitos Magsaysay, Nanacy Binay and Ernesto Maceda and Vice President Jejomar Binay, were in Candaba, Pampanga on Saturday for a rally. Binay, Maceda, and Magsaysay said UNA was in Pampanga for the second time since the campaign season started for the birthday of Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo. "Birthday nung kaibigan ko ito.  Isang kaibigan na talagang tunay na makisama hindi marunong mang-iwan yan nakakatuwang mga kaibigan si mayor Jerry Pelayo," Binay said in a separate interview with reporters. Zubiri, however, admitted that coming back to Pampanga was also part of their strategy. "The strategy is to concentrate on the vote-rich corridors of the country," he said. "[Kami mag-iikot kami sa] mga mahihinang area at sa free time namin ay kailangan umikot at magsipag," he added. Pampanga, which was one of UNA's first stops after the campaign season began on February 12, has 1,216,394 voters as of 2011. There are 50.9 million registered voters in the country as of 2011. Fortunately for UNA, Pelayo, who is running for a congressional seat in the province's fourth district, has already assured support for them earlier in the day. "Hindi ako nagkamali kay VP Binay...kaya sasama ang buong Pampanga para sa Team UNA," he said during the rally. Behind LP bets The changes in UNA's campaign strategy came after recent surveys showed that its candidates were at a disadvantage in the coming polls The latest survey conducted by SWS showed that only three UNA bets made it to the magic 12 while a recent Pulse Asia study showed that only six out of the 15 bets who will likely win are from UNA. Zubiri, however, said he was not worried about the surveys. "Kaya umiikot kami, sipag lang po talaga, magsipag lang po tayo," he said, adding that the results should be understandable since LP's advertisements are reportedly being shown thrice as much. Binay, on the other hand, said the surveys were not believable since its methodology was questionable.