No stage appearance, no support.
This was the warning voiced by Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada to 'common' Senatorial candidates who are also part of the administration coalition.
Estrada claims the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) might withdraw its support from "common candidates" who will refuse to share the stage with the coalition's senatorial bets.
"If they don't want to go up the stage of UNA, we cannot do anything. But I think we will not support them anymore because that's what we talked about," the incumbent senator said.
"If they will join LP (on stage), they will also join the campaign of UNA," he added.
But the senator clarified UNA officials still need to talk about the kind of arrangement they need to impose on reelectionist Senators Loren Legarda and Franciz "Chiz" Escudero following President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's request for them not to take UNA stage.
Estrada is the co-vice president of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), which forms the coalition UNA with Vice President Jejomar Binay's Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).
But former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, a member of UNA executive committee, assured Legarda will appear on the stage to endorse other UNA senatorial bets.
"She tried to catch up with us in Comelec (to file certifcate of candidacy). She was there," Estrada told reporters.
"Loren Legarda will join all our rallies. She promised us she will attend our rallies," he added.
Meanwhile, Binay's daughter Nancy said Escudero has yet to give them clear commitment after the senator met with the vice president for a breakfast meeting at his home on Tuesday.
"Escudero knows the conditions daddy said. If you plan to go on stage of LP, you need to go up the stage of the other. He needs to go on stage with us," Binay said in a phone interview.
"If you don't go up their stage, we will not require you (to go up on our stage)," she explained.
Estrada and his son noted they will not require Poe-Llamanzares to be with them on stage after expressing their "unconditional support" for the daughter of late action star Fernando Poe Jr.
Poe-Llamanzares was the only one among three common candidates who chose to exclusively join administration slate in campaign sorties in spite getting both endorsement from UNA and LP.
Legarda and Escudero both expressed reservation on the matter.
Earlier, UNA senatorial candidate and San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor "JV" Estrada urged common candidates "not to ride on two horses at once," saying they should choose only one coalition to join for 2013 elections.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Tuesday announced a $1.8-billion military upgrade to help defend his country's maritime territory against "bullies", amid an ever-worsening dispute with China.
