Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza to run as Independents!

With or without NP and KBL alliance, I think it is better for Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza to run as independents. Yes, it will be more difficult logistics wise. But in the end, people would still vote for them because of their principles.

Here's the official announcement from Bayan Muna.

This morning, we, Representatives Satur C. Ocampo and Liza L. Maza, formally announce our decision to run as independent candidates in the 2010 elections.

Last week, we were in the final phase of talks with Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manny Villar on the possibility of being guest candidates in the NP sentorial ticket.

However, the formal alliance between the NP and the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan and the declaration of Congressman Bongbong Marcos’ senatorial candidacy under this alliance became a stumbling bloc to this possibility.

In a meeting of the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan this morning, we formalized our decision not to pursue our guest candidacy under the NP. At this point, doing otherwise would compromise our stand on the issue of recovering the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth and compensating the human rights victims of the Marcos dictatorship. These are issues that are very important to us and require closure. It would be a grave injustice to the Filipino people to ignore or gloss over them for the sake of political expediency.

We are particularly concerned that through the NP-KBL alliance, which was formalized last week through a signed document titled “Covenant of Alliance,” the moribund party that was founded by the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos and which supported and benefited from his 20-year fascist rule has been resurrected and put on equal footing with the NP – a party whose existence, in fact, was virtually obliterated by Marcos’ one-man, one-party dictatorship.

We know that an independent run under the Makabayan coalition will pose great challenges for us. But we are ready to meet that challenge.

We shall continue to engage Sen. Villar and other presidentiables in the opposition in a dialogue on his platforms and programs. We remain resolute in pushing forward the politics of change and the overarching interest of the Filipino people.

Thank you.

The way I see it, Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party are just the same - a den of trapos, if not showbiz personalities. This decision to run as independents is indeed a wise decision! I'll definitely vote for Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza!