Palace: TU’s 12-0 sweep only a battle cry

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday the administration party’s political machinery cannot guarantee the victory of its candidates as he clarified that the 12-0 forecast by Team Unity is only a “battle cry." “It is dangerous to depend only on the local leaders. Dapat magsumikap sila (They should strive to win votes)… they should not depend too much on the party machinery," Ermita said. Ermita said the 12-0 victory battle cry is part of TU’s “political strategy" to challenge administration leaders to work hard to get the most votes in the May 14 elections. The executive secretary, meanwhile, said Malacañang has conveyed to the Armed Forces, the PNP, and other law enforcement units to ensure that guns, goons and gold would not rule the May 14 elections. He said the elections must be clean, peaceful and orderly so as not to undermine the integrity of the election process. He said this is the reason the Commission on Elections is given power over all government agencies during the election period. He said the PNP, upon President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s orders, is monitoring the reported 40 partisan armed groups to ensure that they do not cause any trouble during the elections. He said there is “always a possibility" that a candidate is behind an armed group. “We cannot say that it won’t happen 100 percent. There are others who are desperate, the only way they can win the elections is by terrorizing people," he said. But he assured that the elections would be orderly and credible because Mrs Arroyo has strict orders that the May 14 polls should go down in history as a peaceful election. - GMANews.TV