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E-mail“Kami ang tunay na oposisyon (We are the true opposition),” said Remulla. “If you look at our whole slate, we are all anti-GMA and we can never accept being pro-GMA.”
“Look at the Liberal slate though, you have Ralph Recto – the author of the E-VAT and who was the 'yes boy' for GMA. And then you have Gen. Busqueda who testified that Jose Pidal was Iggy Arroyo and not [his brother] First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. You have many LP candidates who are close to Arroyo like Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte, etc.."
In contrast to this, Remulla said the NP consists of staunch critics of Arroyo, citing members like Bongbong Marcos, Alan Peter Cayetano and Adel Tamano.
“So why are they saying that we are not the 'true opposition,' when in fact their presidential candidate [Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III] has relatives serving the Arroyo administration.”
Going on about the LP standard bearer, Remulla said, “I have worked with Sen. Aquino in the Congress for nine years. Pag may impeachment case against GMA, tahimik lang siya. Did you know that he voted against listening to the Garci tapes?”
Remulla, on the other hand, chaired the committee which probed the Hello Garci Scandal in 2005.
Villar's “attack dog”
Remulla likewise refuted claims that Villar is President Arroyo's “secret candidate,” stressing that it was during Villar's stint as Senate president that investigations on scandals linking the president, and even members of her family, were initiated.
“If you check Villar's track record during his term, he opened the investigation on various cases against the president, like the NBN-ZTE Broadband deal... His actions alone, prove that he is very independent and he does not tolerate all the shenanigans of the Arroyo administration.”
“Who helped install JPE [Juan Ponce Enrile] into the senate presidency? It was the Liberals. Was there any investigation against GMA by JPE? There was none... meaning the Liberals don't want any investigation against Gloria Arroyo,” he added.
“Clearly, it is the Liberals who are pro-Arroyo,” he said.
Ocampo and NP senate bet Liza Maza had also earlier denied links with the Arroyo administration during their interview with Blog Watch last week.
Remulla said he did not mind being called the “attack dog” of the NP and of Villar, saying that it was his job to defend the party and its members as spokesperson.
“If you look at the current crop of presidential candidates, Villar is the most qualified,” he said, citing Villar's business background and his rags-to-riches success tale.
He also justified the Villar's supposed campaign overspending: “Manny Villar was leading in the surveys... and then Cory dies. Suddenly, Noynoy was up by 60 percent and Villar only 40.”
“As a businessman, Villar knows [the value of] advertising. He was only using his resources. He is a rich man, after all. But it does not necessarily mean he's going to recover his expenses if he wins.”
Villar is considered the biggest spender in this year's elections, with his political ads reportedly costing him P1.2 billion in only three months – almost equal to the combined spending of five other presidential candidates.
In the latest political advertisement of the Nacionalista Party, standard bearer Sen. Manny Villar is joined by the male members of his senatorial slate – with the exception of Gwen Pimentel, daughter of former senate president Nene Pimentel.
Proving that there is harmony within the NP senatorial slate Remulla said, “You got Bongbong [Marcos] and Satur Ocampo in one ticket. They may not share the same ideologies, but they share the same stage [during sorties]. They debate, they respect each other.”
Bongbong Marcos is the only son and namesake of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos who declared Martial Law in 1972. Whereas long-time political activist Ocampo, who was incarcerated and tortured during martial law, is a known critic of the Marcos administration for its human rights violations.
“Noynoy can't even get the LP together to become the true opposition,” he said.
When asked who he would vote for president if Villar wasn't running, Remulla said, “Gordon... although he probably won't win.”
'Youngblood' in the Senate
Remulla, who hails from a prominent political clan in Cavite, stressed the need for “young” minds in the Senate.
“If you look at the current crop of senatoriables, you'll see the same faces. Hindi ako re-electionist... hindi ako anak ng senador. Vote for me if you want a new face, a 'youngblood' in the Senate. We need younger guys in the Senate. My idealism is as intact as can be,” he said.
Remulla said his priorities include: (1) Adding two years into the country's educational system and integrating at least one foreign language into the curriculum in order for students to be globally competitive (2) Advocate the RH Bill (Reproductive Health) through educating women about the available methods (3) Augmenting tax collection by proposing to tax underground economies, such as texting, softdrinks, etc. (4) Encouraging the use of electric and LPG-powered vehicles, lessening tax on them and minimizing the use of plastics and (5) Exploring alternate sources of energy, such as wind power and nuclear energy.
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