Lakas-CMD endorses three senatorial bets from Liberal Party

The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party has endorsed for the 2013 elections six senatorial candidates from the United Nationalist Alliance party (UNA), three from Liberal Party (LP), and the lone bet of Bangon Pilipinas. 

 

Lakas-CMD vice chairperson Danilo Suarez, who is also House minority leader, told GMA News Online they originally intended to support mostly UNA bets but the party's chairman Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. pitched in LP bets. 

 

"Admittedly, some of those that were included in the list did not get the number superiority and the votes... Talagang ang aming posisyon, magha-hardline kami ng UNA," Suarez said in a phone interview. 

 

"But the chairman [Revilla] personally made an appeal... We have to somewhat respect the appeal of our leaders," he added. Revilla is seen as Lakas-CMD's presidential bet in 2016. Revilla had insisted on the inclusion of three LP bets despite getting "insulted" by President Benigno Aquino III in Cavite early in February. At one point in his speech at the launching of LP candidates in Cavite, the president said the electorate should not take their chances on “agimat” or “anting-anting (amulets)” – a statement that could be construed as referring to Bong Revilla and his family. “Huwag po tayong umasa sa tsamba o sa agimat o anting-anting," Aquino said. Aquino gave the speech days after the opposition party Lakas-CMD said it is eyeing Revilla, an actor known in some of his popular movies as “Agimat,” as its standard bearer in the 2016 presidential election. Cavite is a known bailiwick of the Revilla political clan. Revilla's father, Ramon Revilla Sr., is a former actor and senator popularly known for his movies about amulets. His wife, Lani Mercado, is the incumbent congresswoman of Cavite's second district while his son, Jolo Revilla, is running for vice governor in the May elections. Endsorsed candidates  

Candidates recently endorsed by the Lakas-CMD party are:  

Nancy Binay (UNA), daughter of vice president Jejomar Binay

Richard Gordon (UNA)

Cynthia Villar (LP)

Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas), Jesus is the Lord founder

 

The former ruling party under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier announced its support for UNA's Mitos Magsaysay, JV Ejercito, Jack Enrile and Gringo Honasan; and LP's Sonny Angara and Grace Poe. 

 

Villanueva was endorsed in a surprise vote, according to Suarez. 

 

Suarez said the endorsed candidates vowed to address the following concerns -- retirement, separation pay and sick benefits of appointed and elected barangay officials, as well sa the "continuing downfall of coconut prices." 

 

"We asked them to commit if they get elected that they would support these measures," he added. Lakas-CMD's chairman emeritus Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo now has less role in recent decisions of the party because she is detained at a hospital in Quezon City, a report on Inquirer.net quoted the party’s new president Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as saying. Arroyo has been regularly criticized and blamed by President Aquino for the county's woes. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab /LBG, GMA News