Edgardo Angara: Candidate for Senator

[jedi]

This is our place to discuss anything about the achievements, track record, political stand, platform and candidacy of Edgardo J. Angara as a candidate for senator.

Lets use this forum to evaluate the candidates and to share our political insights.

Lets get ready to rumble

[jedi]

Angara, Loren to part ways in May '07 polls

Sen. Edgardo Angara on Wednesday announced that he has accepted the offer to run under the "unity ticket" being pushed by political leaders of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The announcement came on the same day that former Sen. Loren Legarda, one of Angara's close political allies, confirmed to GMANews.TV that she would join the opposition senatorial ticket for the May 14 elections.

Angara was crucial in pushing for Legarda as the vice presidential candidate of the late Fernando Poe Jr in the 2004 presidential elections.

"I am filing under UNO (United Opposition) tomorrow at 2 p.m. I will have a press conference at the Comelec (Commission on Elections) at 1 p.m.," Legarda said in a text message.

Angara, for his part, made his announcement during a press conference at the Senate.

“Today, I accept the invitation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to run under the unity ticket," he told reporters.

He said he decided to join the administration's unity ticket because he hates "politics of negativism."

"I abhor the politics of hate and negativism. It is about time that politicians of whatever persuasion come together to push this momentum, for the time of divisive politics has reduced our nation to unexplainable poverty,"he said.

"Politics is deteriorating, (we are) stuck in hate and negativism, which I reject. Politics should be relevant to the lives of people and not be seen as a destructive force," he added.

His decision was made after consultations with leaders and members of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, of which he is the chairman.

"There was overwhelming support for my decision," he said.

He said the LDP would join the administration coalition, which is currently made up of the Lakas-CMD and Kampi.

“I am joining the unity coalition on clear understanding that we shall concentrate state resources to vital social expenditures, principally education, health, infrastructure, agricultural modernization, job creation and environmental protection," he said.

Before this, the LDP was part of the opposition.

It had been allied with the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), a broad-based alliance of political opposition parties and groups, which fielded the late actor Fernando Poe Jr against President Arroyo in the 2004 presidential election.

It was also part of the opposition coalition that participated in the 2001 senatorial elections.

The party was also part of the group that pushed for the presidency of Estrada during the 1998 presidential polls.

Angara's announcement ended weeks of speculations about his options.

Just recently, Legarda admitted that she and Sen. Franklin Drilon have been lobbying Estrada about the possible inclusion of Angara in the UNO senatorial ticket, which has already announced eight of its 12 potential bets for the senatorial midterm polls.

But despite this, Angara was left out of the opposition list.

Reacting to Angara ’s announcement, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said President Arroyo should watch her back.

“Ngayong magkasama na sila, I would advise her that she should watch her back. No one knows the real color of Angara," Lacson told reporters.

“If he’s comfortable with the administration, let him stay there. He is not a loss to the opposition," he said, adding that Angara ’s joining the administration is not surprising at all because “he’s just being true to himself, he’s not really with the opposition."

Angara, for his part, also lashed out at critics.

"He abandoned his boss, President Erap (Joseph Estrada) and divided the opposition in 2004. Now he's prancing around as if he's the champion of the opposition. I think his record of betrayal and violence is enough to disqualify him," Angara said, apparently referring to Lacson.

"But in fact he's the one who's jumping over all the time. He's the one who broke the opposition at that time. If he did not run we could have won," he added.

Angara and Lacson have been feuding since the 2004 presidential elections when Lacson ran for the presidency despite efforts by the opposition to present a unified ticket under Poe.

- -GMANews.TV

[kimpOy]

UNITY vs UNO

so eto na ba ang new political parties ngayon?

[Syuryuken]

Political prostitute to eh

Big "NO" for me

[oliver1013]

Yep..Kahapon puti ngayon itim. Taga aurora propvince to..May nagawa na ba siya sa kanyang home turf?

Sayang to dati nagagalingan ako sa kanya pero...wala talaga.

[jonski]

ok lang sya sa akin. isa kasi sya sa nakikita ko na kahit opposition sya or administration ay kung may ginawang maganda ang kabilang side ay nakikisama sya sa mga magandang projects and hindi gaya ng iba na mas loyal sa group nila kaysa pilipinas na porke project ng kabilang gruop ay ayaw na kaagad. kung ganito sana si Escudero ay iboboto ko sya.

[Hanren]

Kung minsan di mo rin maiiwasang mag over the bakod kapag yung loyalty mo sa party eh magkasalungat sa gusto mong mangyari.

If I remember right, open siya sa mga proposals ng admin before kahit opposition siya (i.e. chacha, national id, etc) which to me is alright because it speaks volumes of his principles. But then again, paano niya ma re reconcile yung pagiging ma principyo niya sa mga past actions niya?

[jonski]

Kung minsan di mo rin maiiwasang mag over the bakod kapag yung loyalty mo sa party eh magkasalungat sa gusto mong mangyari.

If I remember right, open siya sa mga proposals ng admin before kahit opposition siya (i.e. chacha, national id, etc) which to me is alright because it speaks volumes of his principles. But then again, paano niya ma re reconcile yung pagiging ma principyo niya sa mga past actions niya?

yan sinasabi ko. kahit na opposition or administration sana wag maging madamot basta maganda ang project ng kabilang side.

[yebo]

big NO. eto yung klase ng tao na opportunista. nung panahon ni marcos dun siya kay marcos. nung panahon ni cory kay cory. panahon ni tabako kay tabako. kay erap nung nakaupo si erap. at ngayon kay pandak.

di lang political prostitute ang tawag dyan, mas masahol pa yan sa prostitute. bugaw.

[claRkEnt]

Yep..Kahapon puti ngayon itim. Taga aurora propvince to..May nagawa na ba siya sa kanyang home turf?

Sayang to dati nagagalingan ako sa kanya pero...wala talaga.

meron na... pinaputol nya mga puno... i think he owns one of the biggest loggers sa area noon kaya nung nagkaroon ng tragedy sa quezon, his name cropped up.

[shadow]

the ultimate political prostitute, butterfly, turncoat, and everything in between.....for him kung san mas makakabuti sa kanya...wala siyang pakialam sa iba...

[oldblue]

tingin ko hindi naman sya prostitute, palagay ko spy 'to. spy ng Lakas party. or deep penetration politician. his allegiance is with Ramos group pa din kasi yun pinu-push nya, chacha.

[zonda]

wala na bang iba??

[Isuzoom]

Pareng Edong...ano ba nakita mo kay mareng Loren?

[Monseratto]

Mga old folks are happy with him. Malaking tulong yung Senior Citizens Act sa discounts sa gamot...

As a legislator, he has authored and pushed for significant laws in education, health, agriculture and social welfare.

Among his landmark legislation are the following:

Free High School Education Act

Senior Citizens Act, better known as The Angara Law

Procurement Reform Act (biggest anti-corruption law in history)

PHILHEALTH (National Health Insurance Act)

Absentee Voting Law

NIPAS Act (National Integrated Protected Areas System Act)

Magna Carta for Public Health Workers

Generics Drug Law

Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA)

Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE)

Breast Feeding Act

Acts Creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)

He is currently pushing for major legislative measures such as the Political Party Reform Act, Magna Carta for Social Workers, Corporate Recovery Act, Credit Information System Act, Land Administration Reform Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act.

[mazdamazda]

I'll vote for Ed Angara... his accomplishments speaks volumes about him.

[shadow]

Pareng Edong...ano ba nakita mo kay mareng Loren?

meron chance na maging presdente which he doesn't have, para feeling presdiente na rin siya...

[rusem]

I'll vote for Ed Angara... his accomplishments speaks volumes about him.

ed angara aka TRAPO

[pup2]

Double agent...

[claRkEnt]

magaling talaga tong tao na to!!! Very practical!

His reason daw for going to admin party is because he wanted to be sure his votes will be counted. Admitting in a subtle way na dayaan talaga ang laban ng Admin.