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1Sambayan to nominees: Stick to word of honor. Inquirer Newsletter June 14, 2021

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As a kid, summer meant total freedom from the responsibilities of school, which for me meant climbing trees to pick and enjoy the fruits in season. To this day, bayabas, santol, aratilis and mangga are the comfort foods that I eagerly await each summer. —STORY BY Richard B. Tantoco

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1Sambayan to nominees: Stick to word of honor

The 1Sambayan coalition expects its shortlisted nominees for president or vice president to honor their pledge of uniting and rallying behind the lone standard-bearer of the opposition, even as the prospective candidates hem and haw about their plans in 2022.

“That is the basis of the agreement. That is what we agreed upon: for personal interest and bias to be set aside. However, I understand politics. If they feel they should chart a different course, then we will respect that. However, I think we must stick to our word of honor,” lawyer Howard Calleja, a convener of the newly formed group, told the Inquirer on Sunday.

In a phone interview, he confirmed the statement of his fellow 1Sambayan leader, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, that all the nominees had vowed during initial talks to support whoever ended up being selected as the coalition’s official candidates.

“We don’t put names just because we want them there. We put them there, as Justice Tony said and I confirm it, because there were preliminary negotiations,” Calleja said.

On June 12, Independence Day, 1Sambayan released its shortlist of nominees consisting of Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Grace Poe, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, House Deputy Speakers Vilma Santos-Recto and Eddie Villanueva, and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno.

Poe and Recto quickly issued statements saying they had no plans of seeking higher office next year. Earlier prospects like Sen. Nancy Binay and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso had also asked to be taken off the list.

But Calleja said this did not mean Poe and Recto were rejecting the coalition’s nomination. “That’s not the same. I don’t think it’s a decline or a rejection, except with [Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who rejected 1Sambayan’s invitation on ideological grounds]. The others say they have no plans, like Mayor Isko who just wants his name to be set aside. They are not saying they do not believe in only one candidate or that the opposition should not unite,” he said.

“The purpose of 1Sambayan is really to unite the opposition, and it’s clear that [the nominees] agree that there should be a unified slate to come up against the administration candidate or candidates,” Calleja added.

Editorial

Good news, bad news

While foreign trade and manufacturing output rebounded in April from a year ago, unemployment worsened in the same period. Some economists have turned bullish about the economic prospects of the Philippines, yet the World Bank just last week lowered its growth forecast for this year to around 4.7 percent—lower than its previous projection of 5.5 percent and the Duterte administration's 2021 target of 6.0-7.0 percent.

Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net