President Benigno Simeon Aquino III led the Team Pnoy in two grand proclamation rallies in Iloilo yesterday.

The Dumangas town grand rally was catered for the administration party’s local candidates in the province’s fourth and fifth districts while the Pavia sortie had local candidates in the first, second, and third districts getting Aquino’s endorsements.

Nine of 12 Team Pnoy senatorial bets – Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Sonny Angara, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Bam Aquino, Koko Pimentel, Jamby Madrigal, Antonio Trillanes – were present.

In an interview, Niel Tupas Sr., LP Iloilo Chairman and former Iloilo Governor said that the campaign sortie of the Team PNoy is an indication that despite the rivalries, other parties should not be hindered from performing their political rallies.

Tupas said that though the town’s incumbent mayor, Ronaldo Golez is a known ally of Fourth District Representative Ferjenel Biron who is running for governor under the United Nationalist Party, Team PNoy was allowed because of the presence of President Aquino.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Aquino emphasized the need for “tuwid na daan” for the sustainability of his projects.

He boasted of the programs the government poured in Iloilo province including the P11.2-billion-worth Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project (JRMP), the Iloilo circumferential road and the various irrigations and farm to market roads in Iloilo province.

“Pasensya na po kayo kung medyo natataas po tayo ng bangko, noon kasing nakaraang kampanya, hindi po tayo nabigyan ng permit dito,” Aquino said in jest.

After the Iloilo rally, PNoy will court the electorate of Negros Occidental.

In Western Visayas, Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have the highest number of voters at 1,574,784. Negros Occidental has 1,315,482 registered voters while Bacolod City has 259,302, while Iloilo Province and Iloilo City have a total of 1,270,100 voters.

UNA DECISION

During the press conference of Team PNoy at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Legarda and Escudero were asked about the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)’s decision dropping them as guest candidates.

“Kahit na anong managyari, hindi magbabago ang aking respeto, pagtingin, at pagmamahal kay dating Pangulong Estrada, kay VP Binay, at si Senate President Enrile,” Legarda said.

She added, “ang pulitika ay dapat itinatabi sa ngalan ng pakikisama at pakikipagkaibigan.”

Legarda said that she appreciates UNA for adopting her as a guest candidate “kahit an alam nila na ang grupo kong NPC, to which I belong in 2007, ay may pag-uusap for a coalition with the administration party.”

On the other hand, Escudero said that he respects UNA‘s decision.

“Ginagalang namin ang kanilang pasya at desisyon. Gayunpaman, mananatili pa rin ang aming pagkakaibigan,” he said.

In a statement quoted by ABS-CBN News Online, UNA campaign manager Toby Tiangco said the coalition has decided it is no longer obligated to include the names of Legarda, Escudero and Poe-Llamanzares in its list of candidates.

"They are no longer common candidates and they are no longer guest candidates. We have extended all courtesies and possible solutions to them na makapunta sila," he said in an ANC interview.

He said the UNA will only promote the nine senatorial candidates namely Jack Enrile, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Tingting Cojuangco, Mitos Magsaysay, Nancy Binay, Ernesto Maceda, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Richard Gordon and Gregorio Honasan.*with ABS-CBN News