Mitra's son completes Nacionalista Party senatorial slate

MANILA, Philippines - A bemedalled former Marine officer and son of the late Speaker Ramon Mitra Jr. completed yesterday the senatorial slate of the Nacionalista Party headed by Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. as standard-bearer.

Former Marine Capt. Ramon “Mon-Mon” Mitra, a recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Star, took his oath as a Nacionalista before Villar at the Laurel House in Mandaluyong yesterday.

Mitra graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1988.

Four days ago Villar also led the swearing-in of former labor undersecretary and overseas Filipino worker champion Susan Ople, a daughter of late former Sen. Blas Ople.

Mitra and Ople join Sen. Pia Cayetano, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Medal of Valor awardee Col. Ariel Querubin, lawyer Adel Tamano, and lawyer Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana in the NP senatorial lineup.

“The Nacionalista Party is fortified by the entry of our worthy and accomplished leaders who choose to join our crusade against poverty in the country as our most important goal,” Villar said.

At 45, Mitra is backed by an extensive experience in administrative and operations management acquired from over 18 years experience in the military, private business and family-owned corporations, particularly in the fields of information technology, transportation, and agribusiness.

Also in the NP slate are re-electionist Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ramon Revilla Jr. as guest candidates.

Two slots remain open for Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza, who decided to run independently because they do not want to be on the same senatorial slate as the son of President Ferdinand Marcos.

Ocampo said they are still open to joining the NP despite the entry of Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“We are running as independent, but we are open (to other parties),” he said. 

“Negotiations are still underway. We were negotiating with NP before that problem (cropped up).”

Maza said even if they join NP, they would not compromise their quest for justice for the victims of the Marcos regime.

“We are very emphatic that we cannot compromise our platform for good governance,” she said. 

“We believe that one aspect of good governance is accountability.  Accountability of the past and the present governments.”

Ocampo and Maza filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) as independent senatorial candidates yesterday.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. backed yesterday the decision of his daughter, Gwendolyn, to join the NP.

“Kay Gwen, isa siya sa napili ni Manny Villar, kung hindi kakandidato si Gwen walang kandidato sa Mindanao bukod kay (Gwen was picked by Villar… if Gwen won’t run there won’t be a candidate from Mindanao aside from) Adel who is coming from the Muslim side and Gwen from non-Muslim,” he said.

Pimentel said the need for Mindanao representation in the Senate was the primary consideration in Villar’s decision to draft Gwendolyn (from Northern Mindanao), along with Tamano (from Central Mindanao) in the l2-man NP senatorial lineup.

“Being a Muslim, attorney Tamano will represent not only Mindanao but more specifically Muslim Mindanao,” he said.

“So we need somebody from Mindanao who is a non-Muslim to balance the representation from Mindanao. If you are talking of capability to discharge the responsibilities of a senator, I think she is very much qualified for the job, specially since she has worked in the Senate for a long time.”

Pimentel said his son and namesake Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has decided to pursue his electoral protest against Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Pimentel.

“Ang electoral protest ni Koko ngayon ay maliwanag na (Koko’s electoral protest is now clear),” he said. “Hindi na maabutan ang lead ni Koko kay Migz. Ang taktika, i-delay na lang (Koko’s lead over Migz is insurmountable, the other camp will just resort to delaying tactics).”

Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, who will run for mayor, and his slate, also took their oath as NP members at the Laurel House.

Mercado’s vice-mayoralty running mate will be lawyer Chito Salud.

Louie Locsin, wife of Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Ernesto Aspillaga are eyeing the two congressional seats in Makati.

In Dagupan City, Georgina “Gina” de Venecia, wife of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) as representative of the fourth district of Pangasinan yesterday.

She is running under the banner of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Mrs. De Venecia said mayors in her district were given a free hand to choose the political party they want to join.

However, all the five mayors and the barangay chairmen in her district remain solidly behind for her, she added.

The former speaker was conspicuously absent yesterday when his wife filed her COC, as only Mrs. De Venecia’s sisters and son, Cristopher and several convoys of vehicles of supporters accompanied her.

Her husband had been sick for a week due to pneumonia and was in their Binloc residence in Pangasinan where they heard Mass prior to filing her COC, Mrs. De Venecia said.

Former Land Transportation Office chief Arturo Lomibao will reportedly run against Mrs. De Venecia and people close to Lomibao has denied reports that he will back out of the race for Congress in Pangasinan.

Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, and their slate for councilors also filed their COCs yesterday.

The two Fernandezes are running under the Liberal Party-Biskeg na Pangasinan, although in the past election, they were with the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

The mayor said he was born a Liberal but their other councilors belonged to the NPC. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Eva Visperas