The Philippine Online Chronicles

Two senatorial candidates from the Nacionalista Party (NP) faced queries from bloggers and the Internet audience yesterday.

Ilocos Norte District Two Representative Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Bayan Muna (Nation First) party-list Representative Satur Ocampo presented their platforms in separate interviews with blogwatch.ph and politicalarena.com.

A proud Marcos

Bongbong Marcos, the only son of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., considers his being a Marcos “an advantage.” His main platform of governance, he said, is geared at addressing the current power crisis, which is not addressed properly by the ruling Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.

“Decisions regarding power generation were given political color... instead of [a] scientific solution,” Marcos said, slamming Arroyo's decision of acquiring “emergency powers” to address the said crisis.

He also said that though wind energy provided cheap and efficient electricity in his province, “it is not applicable for the entire country.”

“You cannot use wind energy during summer,” Marcos said, emphasizing the “need” to have “alternative” power source. “Nuclear power is the answer to the power crisis,” he said.

“If the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was allowed to operate, we would not have this power crisis. The succeeding [Corazon Aquino] administration put a political color on it, and look at what is happening now,” Marcos explained.

On the issue of corruption, Marcos slammed the Arroyo administration for “failing to prosecute high-profile corrupt officials,” saying that the Arroyo administration is “corrupted.”

“If [the] government receives a certain amount of money, the government must provide an equal amount of service. This is called quantitative governance,” he answered, when asked on his agenda in combating corruption.

When asked about his program on national sports, Marcos said he will initiate a “wide grassroots[-based] program” aimed at “developing the youth” instead of “merely winning in competitions.”

“Our current politicians are not interested in helping sports... it will not benefit them,” Marcos lamented on the seemingly faltering performance of the national team in sporting competitions.

A “natural” Leftist

Meanwhile, Marcos' party-mate Satur Ocampo highlighted his allegiance with the Left in his senatorial campaign.

“Leftists bring change and it was manifested in history... I am a natural leftist because I am literally left-handed,” Ocampo quipped. “In boxing, the left hook is the strongest blow... we will use this to finish corruption.”

Ocampo said that his number-one plan of action once elected is to “prosecute” Macapagal-Arroyo on allegations of corruption, cheating, and human rights abuse. The former journalist will also continue the legislation of the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB), which he earlier filed in Congress but was not ratified by the chamber.

“We have to develop national agriculture to provide jobs in the countryside. This will help [the rural poor] so they will not go abroad and work them. The current feudal system in the countryside aggravates their poor conditions, so we have to crush that system through GARB,” Ocampo explained.

Ocampo also said that his stint in the Senate will be based on a “socialist perspective” as an “equalizer” in a society that is experiencing social and political “disequilibrium.”

Unlike Marcos, Ocampo is against nuclear energy, saying that it will "worsen" the country's debt burden.

Both Ocampo and Marcos affirmed their support for NP standard bearers Manny Villar and Loren Legarda, though Ocampo warned that he will be the “first opposition” if Villar will break the party's platform and policies.

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