Aquino to join campaign sorties of Team PNoy

As campaign period for senatorial candidates in the May mid-term elections kicks off Feb. 12, Malacanang Thursday said President Benigno Aquino III will be joining the Liberal Party's campaign sorties.

"The President has promised to support his senatorial slate. It's very important for us that, from a governance point of view, that the Senate slate that was chosen by the President – Team PNoy, wins in this election," said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang in a press briefing.

"We have a challenging three years ahead of us. We have not finished all the work that we have sought out to do. We still need to bring in more investments. We still need to combat poverty. We still need to fight corruption," he stressed.

And, for the administration to continue to move towards the right direction, Carandang said, "we need support from members of the Senate,"

"The President has chosen his team. He is going to support them. He is going to campaign for them and we are hoping that, if the public is happy with the achievements of the Aquino administration over the last three years, then they will support the President's choices for the Senate," he said.

Carandang, however, clarified that the President may not join every sortie of Team PNoy, but "he will actively campaign for them."

Meanwhile, LP campaign manager Sen. Franklin Drilon earlier said a 12-0 victory for Team PNoy in the May polls can be achieved, just as the administration was able to generate a 6.6 percent economic growth in 2012.

"We are confident that we would be able to convince the people that Team PNoy is the right team to put in the Senate because they will be the one to push the reforms that the President has started and were finished before his term is over," he said.

Drilon said they will not vacillate in highlighting the achievements of the administration vis-a-vis the strengths of the 12 Team PNoy senatorial candidates.

He said this is to "make a distinction between the administration candidates, the PNoy Team, and the opposition." Drilon said the popularity of the President will trickle down to his chosen candidates.

"We ask the question: are we better today compared to June 30 of 2010? If we are, we should continue supporting the President and his team," he said. (PNA)