July 23, 2009

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SENATOR PIMENTEL CALLS ON OFW’S TO VOTE ON 2010 ELECTIONS; ALLAYS FEARS OF CHACHA ON SONA

Los Angeles—Senate Minority leader and oppositionSenator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. calls on all overseas Filipinos to vote on the May 2010 Presidential elections in the Philippines.

Calling the OFW votes as “the decisive factor and the cleansing votes” he appealed to Filipino American voters in the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) Hall at the regular Media Breakfast Club of LA Wednesday meeting, yesterday, July 22.

" There are around 14 million Filipinos abroad. If only 6 million of them votes. that can be decisive in any elections. In the United States there are around 2.9 million of you here. Your votes are not tainted, you cannot be bought. Therefore your vites are important." Pimentel told the crowd.

Pimentel also allayed the fears of the Filipino American community that there will be a “constituent assembly ( Con-ass) to be convened by the Pro-GMA forces in the lower house on the regular State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 at the Philippine Congress session opening .

“ The Senate is united for the first time against any change in the Philippine Constitution without the concurrence of the Senate. All of these are just wild talks” Pimentel stated.

Opposition Presidential Bets

When asked about the coming presidential elections on May 2010, Pimentel asked the people "not to look for saints" He mentioned Senators Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Chiz Escudeo and Loren Legarda as presidential timbers. Clarifying that Roxas and Villar have the capacity in resources to mount a campaign, he said Escudero and Legarda have logistical problems.

On the question on how his son-senatorial candidate Coco Pimentel is doing on the his electoral protest against Senator-elect Miguel Zubiri, Senator Pimentel says he’s hopeful that Atty. Coco Pimentel will take his seat on the Senate by October 2009.

People remembered that Senator Pimentel was a victim of electoral fraud during the Senatorial elections of 1995. Pimentel filed his protest and caused the filing of charges against local COMELEC officials and effected electoral reforms to be in place.

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Pimentel also allayed the fears of the Filipino American community that there will be a “constituent assembly ( Con-ass) to be convened by the Pro-GMA forces in the lower house on the regular State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 at the Philippine Congress session opening .

“ The Senate is united for the first time against any change in the Philippine Constitution without the concurrence of the Senate. All of these are just wild talks” Pimentel stated.