MANILA, Philippines - Is Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) crumbling?
The question cropped up after sources in Malacañang disclosed over the weekend that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile had asked President Aquino if his son, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, can join the ruling Liberal Party’s senatorial slate in the May 2013 midterm elections.
Earlier reports had it that the younger Enrile would be running for senator under UNA next year.
A Palace insider revealed that while the 88-year-old legislator was invited by Aquino to attend their July 5 Cabinet meeting to discuss the country’s stand on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal issue, Enrile stayed even after the meeting was concluded.
The senator, according to the insider, personally asked the President if he or the administration party can still accommodate the younger Enrile, who will be running for senator next year.
The insider added it was the older Enrile who specifically sought the meeting.
“The meeting was intended to discuss strategies on dealing with the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea, but apparently Enrile also wants his son included in the lineup of LP,” the source said.
The source, however, said he had no idea whether Aquino was amenable to include the congressman in the LP lineup.
“This is very good news for the administration party. But this will again be another headache for the LP selection committee which is already having a hard time trimming down the list of senatorial candidates,” the source pointed out.
The possible inclusion of the younger Enrile in the LP senatorial slate would in effect dislodge the candidacy of Aquino’s first cousin Paolo Benigno IV, who is currently in the 12th slot.
“This is very difficult, considering that the President will be choosing between a perceived ally (Enrile) and a very close relative,” the source added. “If Bam can’t make it, then Jack probably would.”
The source said the possibility cannot be underestimated in light of Enrile’s support to the Aquino administration. “This is apart from the fact that his son is doing better in various popularity surveys,” he noted.
Enrile was among the 20 senators who voted to impeach chief justice Renato Corona.
At present, the most certain among LP senatorial candidates are Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, Tesda director-general Joel Villanueva, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros and Aquino’s cousin Bam.
Only Biazon is an original LP member. Angara is with Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Villanueva with party-list Citizens Battle Against Corruption, Hontiveros with Akbayan and Bam with non-government organization Kaya Natin.
Other possible LP senatorial bets are House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III (an LP original), former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chief Grace Poe-Llamanzares and incumbent Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, who left UNA.
There will also be senatorial candidates from the Nacionalista Party, which Sen. Manny Villar heads, and Nationalist People’s Coalition, whose founding chairman is Aquino’s maternal uncle - business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.
For its part, NP also has four candidates for senator - Villar’s wife Cynthia, re-electionist Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV and former Surigao del Norte congressman and governor Robert Ace Barbers.
As for NPC, it will be re-electionist Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda, who will be joining the administration slate.
There are also talks that Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian - son of plastics magnate William Gatchalian - might be included in the NPC lineup.
But Sherwin is reportedly bent on joining UNA, which coalesced with former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino. Sherwin’s younger brother, congressman Rex of Valenzuela, is an NPC official in the House of Representatives.