PIMENTEL CITES NEED TO IDENTIFY REAL OPPOSITIONISTS FROM FAKE ONES
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) today stressed the
need to identify and distinguish the real oppositionists from the bogus ones
as the various parties in the opposition attempt to unify their forces and
rally behind a common presidential candidate in the 2010 elections.
Pimentel said the efforts to consolidate the opposition forces might be
spoiled and derailed by the presence of politicians who are merely
pretending to be among them because this is a convenient and popular thing
to do to boost their chances of being elected or reelected to public office.
For instance, he noted that there were former members of the opposition who
defected to the administration after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came
to power, but who have started making overtures to go back to the opposition
fold now that the next elections are drawing near.
Pimentel said he welcomes the announcement of former President Joseph
Estrada that he will spearhead the holding of a national convention of all
opposition parties and their respective presidential aspirants that aim to
chose the common standard bearer of the united opposition.
“But before we hold that national convention, let us first look at the
potential candidates of the opposition. There may be people there
masquerading as oppositionists when the truth is they are Trojan horses who
are out to prevent us from merging our forces and from choosing a single
candidate for president,” he said.
“In other words, there should be a winnowing process on who should qualify
to participate in an honest-to-goodness convention of so-called
presidentiables.”
In support of this idea, the senator from Mindanao said that the leaders of
the opposition should now start setting the criteria for the selection of
the common standard bearer, as well as the mechanics and procedures of the
selection process.
Pimentel said that the presidential aspirants should present their platform
of government and express their views on various national issues during the
unification convention.
“Otherwise, after Gloria is gone, happy days are here again for people who
have been manipulating the powers of the presidency,” he said.
Date: April 25, 2009
Ref: Omeng Maglangit / (02) 5526733 |
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