Noy urged: Choose to be President or LP campaigner

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Mitos Magsaysay said yesterday that President Aquino must choose between being “full time LP (Liberal Party) campaign manager or be the real President to the Filipino people.”

Magsaysay told The STAR that the clash between the Malaysian security and the supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram would have been prevented had Aquino made the right priority.        Turn to Page 4

Aquino was in Pampanga with LP candidates when Kiram’s supporters fought with the Malaysian security force the other day.

Magsaysay said the Kiram family had been coordinating with the Aquino government and they even wrote Malacañang regarding their claims to Sabah.

“But this was taken for granted by the Aquino administration. Now that this happened, they are just going to allow 200 Filipinos or more fighting for their claims to be butchered by the Malaysians,” she said.

“He should have stayed on the issue with Sabah. His candidates can campaign on their own. But Sabah, once it became big, will have big implications and will give a big headache to the country,” Magsaysay said.

She said it does not look good when people die while the President is busy campaigning for his candidates.

Former Senator Ernesto Maceda said it is the prerogative of President Aquino to campaign for his candidates, but it is taking so much time from his duties.

UNA storms Mindanao

Meanwhile, UNA’s first official political sortie in Mindano coincided with the celebration of the annual “Kaamulan Festival,” an ethnic thanksgiving harvest feast.

More than 40,000 attended UNA’s rally here yesterday.

Home province of UNA senatorial candidate Migz Zubiri, Bukidnon is regarded as one of the bailiwicks of UNA.

The province delivered overwhelming votes for Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President Joseph Estrada during the 2010 national elections.

Bukidnon is also one of the provinces in Northern Mindanao that gave Estrada overwhelming votes when he ran for president in 1998.

UNA secretary-general and campaign manager Toby Tiangco said they expect the same level of support for UNA bets in the coming May elections.