Puwersa to PPC: Forge common stand for sobriety

The opposition Puwersa ng Masa-Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PnM-LDP) called on the ruling People Power Coalition (PPC) yesterday to "forge a common call for sobriety" in this year’s elections and gracefully accept whatever the poll results may be.

Former Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the appeal came from jailed ex-President Joseph Estrada relayed through him.

"We are appealing to PPC to join the PnM in sobriety and accept the results of the elections whether it’s good or not in their favor," said Puno, who is PnM campaign operations coordinator.

Puno said the deposed president also warned against false reports about opposition supporters resorting to destabilization moves if their candidates were cheated of victory at the polls.

He ruled out any repetition of the so-called people power III.

"If you mean to say that there is going to be any type of rebellion, any type of effort to destabilize, that’s not going to happen," Puno stressed.

He added that Estrada was focused more on the cases leveled against him by the government.

The opposition expects to capture at least seven of 13 senatorial seats at stake in yesterday’s polls, saying it may even get nine as indicated by a "comprehensive survey" it conducted among the country’s 260,000 barangays.

"An opposition victory will assure the poor that they are represented, that democracy works, that the electoral system works. But win or lose, our party intends to join the administration in an effort to reconcile everyone and try to bring the poor in our society to the mainstream," Puno said.

The PnM survey covering 90 percent of the barangays nationwide indicated that at least eight opposition senatorial bets will win in 40 of the country’s 78 provinces.

Puno added that if the opposition wins in Metro Manila which is traditionally considered an opposition bailiwick, it is likely they would capture nine senatorial slots.

He admitted, however, that pro-administration bets Juan Flavier, Joker Arroyo, Manuel Villar and Franklin Drilon would be unbeatable.

Puno predicted that opposition bets would win in Makati, Manila, Malabon, Marikina, Navotas, Pasay City and San Juan, while the administration ticket would prevail in Las Piñas, Mandaluyong, Para-ñaque, Pasig, Pateros, Taguig and Valenzuela.

He also said PPC senatorial candidates will win in only 16 provinces.

A PnM statement quoted Estrada as expressing confidence that despite persecution by the government, he still had strong faith in the Filipino people.

"If we lose, we will be the first to accept defeat and we assure the people that we will not file nor take any actions that are not within the framework of the election rules," Puno stressed.

The coalesced opposition PnM-LDP accused the Arroyo administration of trying to bribe barangay chairmen with P200,000 worth of projects for delivering a 13-0 victory for PPC‘s senatorial ticket.

Opposition Sen. Vicente Sotto III has also claimed that the PPC dispatched well-funded teams to Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, the Cordilleras and other regions where the opposition is strong. – With Mayen Jaymalin