By: Fel Maragay

The camp of former President Joseph Estrada and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay lost a credible and skillful spokesman and a very promising politician when lawyer Adel Tamano quit and moved over to the Nacionalista Party led by Senator Manuel Villar.

The resignation of Tamano was quite painful to both sides because he was an invaluable asset of the United Opposition (composed of Estrada’s Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino and Binay’s Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan). As spokesman, Tamano used his legal and communication expertise and lent the prestige of his name in articulating the views of the opposition on diverse issues, particularly in criticizing administration policies and decisions.

The departure of Tamano is a big blow especially to Estrada, as it occurred at a time when his plan to join the 2010 presidential race and recapture power is moving into high gear. The former president was caught off guard by Tamano’s sudden resignation. He reacted with disbelief when the latter came to him to bid goodbye. Estrada did not expect the move; only a few weeks before, he had included Tamano in the initial list of his senatorial line-up for the 2010 elections. It was a recognition, a reward to the rising political star from Muslim Mindanao for what he has done for the political opposition.

Interviewed by newsmen at the Kapihan sa Sulo in Quezon City over the weekend, Tamano gave two reasons why he decided to jump over to the NP. First is the sentimental reason—his father, the late Senator Mamintal Tamano, was a pillar of the NP during its heyday. The second is his belief that Manny Villar, who rose from poverty to fortune through enterprise and hard work, could provide the kind of leadership that the country needs.

But I think there is a bigger reason why he broke away from Estrada. Tamano’s fateful decision came shortly after Fr. Joaquin Bernas, eminent constitutionalist and delegate to the 1986 Constitutional Commission, explained in his newspaper column the grounds why Estrada is no longer eligible to run for reelection as president. Bernas, former dean at the Ateneo University College of Law, reproduced in his column the portions of the Con-Com proceedings where the prohibition on the re-election of an incumbent and past president of the republic were lengthily discussed. As an Ateneo law graduate, Tamano could not have overlooked and just brushed aside the Bernas’ treatise. It might have in fact influenced him into casting doubts on the viability of Estrada’s attempt at a second presidential bout.

Let us assume that in November, Estrada files his certificate of candidacy for president. If the Comelec decides to disqualify him and this is sustained by the Supreme Court, you could imagine how it could throw the Estrada team including his senatorial bets into a state of disarray and uncertainty. Perhaps, this is the nightmarish scenario that this aspiring Maranao politician dreads most. And this is a gambit that he would take pains to avoid in his first attempt to seek public office.

Now coffee shops are abuzz with talk that Villar dangled an offer to Tamano that was too tempting to refuse. This was what media men heard straight from a campaign strategist and propagandist of Mr. Estrada after the media forum with Tamano at Sulo Hotel.

At any rate, we wish the Harvard-educated Tamano the best of luck in his foray into politics. Seldom does a person with admirable credentials and leadership potentials emerge to represent the Muslim community in the national legislature. It would be a pity if the opportunities that are coming his way to fulfill his dream and destiny would just be wasted.

***

With Tamano gone from the Estrada camp, former Senate President and Ambassador Ernesto Maceda has stepped into the shoes of spokesman of the UNO. The loss of Tamano must be so heart-breaking for Estrada and company that they seem to have intentionally refrained from commenting on it. No doubt, the loss has a lot of negative implications; the less they talk about it, the better for them. In the midst of Tamano affair, one thing that must have comforted Estrada was that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is back to his fold. Remember Enrile allied himself with the Arroyo administration after power changed hands in Malacañang. Now, Enrile has become a mainstay in Estrada’s provincial sorties dubbed “Lakbay Pasasalamat” (Journey of Gratitude) which he launched shortly after being granted executive clemency and freed from detention following his conviction for plunder by the court. The public was surprised when the 85-year-old Enrile a few months ago announced that he was running for re-election under Estrada’s Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino. The announcement was naturally a big letdown to Malacañang because it had been hoping that Enrile would join the administration’s senatorial ticket. But Enrile said that while he adopted a policy of collaboration with the administration, he has never left the PMP that he used to head as party president. Of course, this was quite confusing. Many believe that Enrile, like Senator Miriam Santiago, had burned his bridges with the opposition after he allied himself with President Arroyo. In fact, when Enrile was catapulted to the Senate presidency during the leadership coup on Nov. 17, 2008, was it not hailed as a victory for the administration? But since Enrile is claiming that there has not been an interruption in his membership in the PMP, it can be interpreted to mean he has never left the opposition. It sounds like a case of one cruising on two rivers. And since the next elections are drawing near, one cannot help but see Enrile as somebody enjoying the best of both worlds. This illustrates once more the state of confusion in our flawed political system where the distinction between administration and opposition has been blurred or erased. It reflects the convoluted political alignment if the Senate where both the majority and the minority blocs are made up of administration and opposition members.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=felMaragay_june22_2009

By Jerry Tundag

Even before he officially joined politics, Adel Tamano already enjoyed what many politicians would give an arm for — facial recognition and name recall. The young lawyer not only has an actor’s good looks, he is also an excellent communicator.

Despite being a son of former senator Mamintal Tamano, Adel did not jump headlong into politics by vying for an elective position himself. Instead he immersed himself in politics by lending his appealing presence to the company of older politicians.

Now, I don’t know if there was something deliberate in the manner in which he chose the company he kept. But by introducing himself to the national consciousness in the company of the likes of Joseph Estrada and Jejomar Binay, it was clear he enjoyed the benefit of comparison.

Compared to Estrada and Binay, Adel offered television audiences a refreshing contrast to almost everything that the two veteran politicians offered and presented. He was young as opposed to old, good-looking as opposed to ... well..., and articulate as opposed to mumbling.

In a country with an electorate that is increasingly getting younger — half the population being below 25 years of age — and an inexplicable preference for appearance rather than substance — Adel would be certainly be a prized catch in any ticket for election.

So I am sure Estrada, who continues to foolishly dream of regaining the presidency, and Binay, who thinks Filipinos will foolishly mistake the Philippines for Makati, must have been emboldened in no small measure in their folly by assuming Adel was an ace up their sleeve.

But apparently Adel is not all appearance. The inkling we had of his substance from the manner in which he talks, he recently validated by making a choice that must have stunned and stunk Estrada and Binay but which entrenched his own self as a man who knows his destiny.

Adel broke his ties with the United Opposition of Binay and the Partido ng Masang Pilipino of Estrada and joined the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manny Villar, also a contender for the 2010 presidential election.

The move of Adel is clearly to pave the way for what many perceive to be his first real foray into politics — a run for the Senate. It is a move that strengthens both his position, as well as that of Villar.

Villar, who is the subject of a widely-perceived trumped-up ethics complaint in a Senate dominated by colleagues who are also his rivals for the presidency, could not have been any happier by the development.

Having wisely refused to engage his rivals in a frontal confrontation but instead meeting them head-on in press conferences which he can at least control, it seems that it is Villar who has benefitted largely from recent political developments.

A few days before Adel linked up with the Nacionalista Party, Villar also welcomed several local government officials who have defected from the administration, further entrenching himself as the leading opposition contender for the presidency.

While I do not give much credence to surveys, there are indeed surveys that say Villar is the preferred presidential candidate. Maybe the lengthening line of officials crossing over to his fold is a good indicator of his chances in 2010.

But I think it is the acquisition of Adel that pleases Villar the most at this point. A fresh personality is always a welcome change in any environment. And for political purposes, he proves to be a coup for Villar, who instead of being weakened appears to be gaining.

Read more: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=475559&publicationSubCategoryId=109

Updated June 06, 2009 12:00 AM
(by Rudy Andal)

MANILA, Philippines - Nagtampo si dating United Opposition (UNO) spokesman Adel Tamano sa naging pahayag ni da­ting Pangulong Estra­da na hindi siya kawalan sa ha­ nay ng oposisyon dahil isa lamang siyang ‘spokesman’.

Sinabi ni Atty. Tamano, kasalukuyang pangulo ng Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) at dating spokesman ng UNO, igina­ galang niya ang naging opinion ni dating Pangulong Erap dahil sa pag-alis niya sa UNO.

Nanumpa kamakailan si Tamano bilang miyembro ng Nacionalista Party (NP) ni Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.

“Medyo masakit marinig na parang balewala ang ginawa ko bilang spokesman ng UNO pero nireres­peto ko ang opinion ni dating Pangulong Erap. Now that I am with the NP, I hope they will appreciate whatever contribution I can make to the party,” paliwa­nag pa ni Tamano.

Naunang sinabi ni Erap na hindi kawalan si Tamano sa oposisyon dahil hindi naman ito opisyal ng UNO tulad nina Sen. Ernesto Ma­ ceda at Makati Mayor Jejo­mar Binay bagkus ay isang ‘spokesman’ lamang ito.

Read from http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=474832&publicationSubCategoryId=92

-- Rommel C. Lontayao, Cris G. Odronia And Francis Earl A. Cueto

Adel Tamano on Thursday resigned as spokesman of the United Opposition (UNO) and joined the Nacionalista Party of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., one of the leading aspirants for president in the 2010 elections.

Tamano earlier confirmed that he would run for the Senate also in 2010, but in statement released by Villar on Thursday, the former opposition spokesman said, “I’m not entering Nacionalista Party with the expectation that I will be one of its senatorial candidates. If they believe that I have what it takes to be a good candidate, I will let them choose.”

He explained, “My family has deep roots in the Nacionalista Party and part of what I am doing is to honor my late father and continue his work as a Nacionalista.”

Tamano is the eighth son of the late Sen. Mamintal Tamano and civic leader Hadja Putri Zorayda Abbas Tamano. He is also president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) and the longtime lawyer of the controversial Dr. Vicky Belo, whose lover, Dr. Hayden Kho, is embroiled in a sex-video scandal.

Tamano, who hails from Lanao del Sur, was accompanied by his wife, lawyer Rowena Kapunan, and her parents, former Supreme Court Justice Santiago Kapunan and Angie.

The erstwhile UNO spokesman earned his economics and law degrees from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1992 and 1996, respectively. Then he took up Masters in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines, and later became the first Filipino Muslim to graduate from the Harvard Law School.

Villar for president

“I can speak for myself as Adel Tamano now. I am no longer a spokesman for somebody,” said the 38-year-old lawyer, who now backs Villar’s presidential bid.

He added that Villar has a big chance in being elected as the country’s next leader next year.

“Our biggest problem in the country is poverty, and it will take someone who has really experienced poverty to redeem us out of it. That is why I choose him,” Tamano said in the statement released by Villar’s camp.

The Nacionalista Party, founded in 1907, has produced six presidents—Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Ramon Magsaysay, Jose Laurel, Carlos Garcia and Ferdinand Marcos.

Opposition’s reactions

Tamano also said he had informed the opposition leaders – former President Joseph Estrada and UNO President and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay—of his decision to resign and join Villar’s party. And they reportedly accepted Tamano’s resignation.

Binay congratulated Tamano also on Thursday, saying their parting was cordial. “I just wish him all the luck in his political plans.”

He added that former Sen. Ernesto Maceda would be UNO’s new spokesman.

Mayor JV Ejercito of San Juan City (Metro Manila) also wished Tamano good luck but gave him a parting shot. “Sana lang napunta siya sa tunay na oposisyon at hindi sa mga nagpapanggap lamang [I wish he had joined the real opposition party, not the one that is just pretending to be one].”

Ejercito is also a director of the United Opposition and son of Estrada, who has repeatedly said he would again run for president if the opposition fails to unite behind a single candidate.

Event at Laurel house

Also sworn in with Tamano was businessman Arsenic Laurel of the illustrious Laurel clan. He will run for representative of the Third District of Batangas, a statement said.

The event took place at the Nacionalista headquarters, the historic Laurel House on Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.

Also with Villar, Tamano and Laurel on Thursday were Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and wife, Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano; Sen. Villar’s wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar; Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara; Caloocan Rep. Oscar “Oca” Malapitan; Laguna Rep. Justin “Timmy” Chipeco; Cavite Rep. Crispin “Boying” Remulla; Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rolando “Klarex” Uy; Quezon City Rep. Vincent “Bingbong’ Crisologo; Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos “Caloy” Padilla; former Negros Occidental Rep. Jerry Paras; former Pampanga Rep. Rimpy Bondoc; former Compostela Valley Rep. Roger Sarmiento; former Manila Representatives Joey Hizon and Rudy Tuazon; and former Casiguran Mayor Edwin Hamor.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/june/05/yehey/top_stories/20090605top2.html

By Allison Lopez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:35:00 06/05/2009

Filed Under: Politics, Elections, Eleksyon 2010

MANILA, Philippines—United Opposition (UNO) spokesperson Adel Tamano resigned the post Thursday when he joined the Nacionalista Party headed by Sen. Manuel Villar.

Tamano at the same time admitted he was interested in running for a Senate seat in 2010 under the party that counts his late senator-father, Mamintal Tamano, among its more illustrious members.

“My family has deep roots in the Nacionalista Party and part of what I am doing is to honor my late father and continue his work as a Nacionalista,” Tamano said.

He said there had been no falling out between himself and UNO stalwarts, former President Joseph Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay.

“I joined the NP for two things—because my father, Sen. Mamintal Tamano, was a true-blue Nacionalista, and because it had become very difficult for me to speak on behalf of the opposition. In 2007, it was easy when it was still the Genuine Opposition, but now it had become very difficult for me,” he said in a phone interview.

Tamano was immediately replaced as UNO spokesperson by former Sen. Ernesto Maceda. UNO is composed of Estrada’s Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino and Binay’s PDP-Laban parties.

Tamano, who took his oath Thursday in front of NP president Sen. Manuel Villar, said he was “very nervous” when he went to see Estrada two weeks ago to tell him of his plans. But the opposition leader turned out to be kind and understanding.

“We talked for three hours. He told me that if that was what I had to do, he was not the type to stop me na gawin kung ano raw yung nakakabuti sa akin. Ganun kabait si Presidente (from doing what was right for me. That’s how nice the President is),” he said, adding that he also met with Binay, who gave him some advice.

In a statement, Binay said: “Adel Tamano has the right to join any organization. I just wish him all the luck in his political plans.”

The NP, Tamano said, was the “best fit” for him because its members, who include Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla, were his good friends, and he believes that Villar, a former Senate president, is the best bet to lead the country in 2010.

Villar is the declared NP standard-bearer in 2010.

“Of all the people who are ‘presidentiables,’ I feel that Manny Villar is the one I want to become president. He is a success story. It would take someone who has overcome it to help find answers to solving poverty in the Philippines,” he said.

Tamano, the first Muslim Filipino to obtain a masters of law degree with a scholarship to Harvard University, said he would resign from the presidency of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, a job he concurrently holds, before the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy in November.

Aside from Tamano, Villar swore in Arsenic Laurel as a member of the NP in rites held at the historic Laurel House on Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City that Villar had bought from the family early this year.

Laurel, a member of the well-known political clan, will run for representative of the third district of Batangas.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090605-208958/Tamano-quits-UNO-moves-over-to-NP

UNO spokesman quits, joins Villar party
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:44:00 06/04/2009

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics

MANILA, Philippines – The spokesman of the United Opposition (UNO) has bolted the coalition and joined the Nacionalista Party (NP) as he threw his support for NP President Manuel Villar’s presidential bid in 2010.

Lawyer Adel Tamano, who intends to run for Senator in 2010, took his oath before Villar on Thursday.

“My father, the late Senator Tamano is a founder of Nacionalista Party. To honor his memory I joined the party” said Tamano.

“I think Manny Villar is the man to beat… the biggest reason is this man was able to rise from poverty, the country's biggest problem. And it will take someone who has experience and who can find solutions for poverty,” he added.

Villar said Tamano would be a great asset to the NP. He said the NP was open to other candidates who wanted to join the party.

He said many mayors joined the NP last month.

Tamano said former president Joseph Estrada and UNO president Jejomar Binay accepted his decision to transfer to Villar’s party.

“Nagpaalam ako ng maayos kay Erap [I bade Estrada goodbye] and we talked for three hours. He respected my decision,” he said.

“Now I can speak as Adel Tamano and not just a spokesman” he added.

Earlier in the day, Binay said he was saddened by Tamano's decision.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090604-208803/UNO-spokesman-quits-joins-Villar-party

Written by Zaff S. Solmerin / Correspondent

Thursday, 29 January 2009 23:22

THE United Opposition (UNO) yesterday warned about the implications of recent reports of a P100-million cut in the budget of the Commission on Audit (COA). “It sends a wrong signal to graft busters in the government. It will indicate that Malacañang will not hesitate to defang an agency crucial in keeping an eye on how the government uses its resources,” UNO spokesman lawyer Adel Tamano said. Tamano cautioned, “The development, if true, will further erode the public’s confidence on whether the Palace is really serious in adapting a policy of transparency and accountability in its affairs.” A recent report quoting a COA official said the cut in the office’s budget, if approved by the President, will have a significant effect on how State auditors’ function. Read Full Article here

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