Says his anti-communist party 'will provide balance' in the political landscape

Bantay Rep. Jovito Palparan will join the senatorial race next year primarily to campaign against Leftist candidates and supporters.

Palparan, a former commanding general of the Philippine Army’s 7th Division in Nueva Ecija and 8th Division in Samar and Leyte, filed his certificate of candidacy Monday, accompanied by members of his party-list group Bantay and the True Marcos Loyalists Association of the Philippines.

Known among political activists as “The Butcher,” Palparan has been linked to cases of extra judicial killings of militants in provinces where he had been assigned. He has not made secret his dislike for communists, and in fact formed Bantay to counter the Leftist movement.

“I will campaign against left-leaning supporters and congressman,” Palparan told reporters. He said that the decision of Left-leaning party-list representatives Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna and Liza Maza of Gabriela to join the senatorial race was among the reasons he decided to run for senator.

Asked if he will be adopted by the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD, the party of President Arroyo, Palparan said he would love to be adopted by major political parties. “If not, I will run as independent.”

The former Army general said that he has not chosen the presidential candidate he will support, but added the next president should have strong leadership.

Palparan also asked the public to support Bantay in the party-list elections. “It will provide a balance to the left-leaning partylist.”

Bantay is among the party-list groups that benefited from the Supreme Court ruling last April that abolished the 2% minimum vote requirement for a party-list seat. (Newsbreak)