THE elder brother of Budget Secretary Florentino Abad and Abad’s wife are contesting the loan district of Batanes in next year’s elections after Abad’s brother, Nicanor Abad, joined Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance to dispute the post with Henedina Abad.
Henedina is the representative of lone district of Batanes.
Nicanor Abad was sworn in by Binay as an UNA member during his visit to Batanes.
“It’s going to be head to head against his brother’s wife, Henedina, who currently occupies the post,” Binay said over a radio interview.
Budget Secretary Abad, who comes from a family of politicians and government workers, said he just wanted to have peace in the family after he was asked about his elder brother’s plan.
“I have said what I needed to say. I just want peace in the family,” Abad told The Standard in a text message.
Batanes Gov. Vicente Gato, a Liberal party stalwart, has also joined UNA. Gato ran under the LP in the 2013 elections.
“This is a significant event, particularly after Secretary Abad’s brother joined the UNA,” Binay said after the oath-taking.
Binay is the chairman of UNA and the party’s standard-bearer in the 2016 elections.
Binay said that, with new members coming in, it would be a “victory for UNA in Batanes” considering the province was a bailiwick of the LP.
He said there were LP members who had sent feelers that they wanted to join UNA.
Binay said they were looking for members who shared UNA’s ideology.
“What we are looking for are leaders with the same vision and beliefs. It would be difficult if we would have different opinions,” Binay said.
Meanwhile, Abad said the majority of the incumbent officials in Batanes were now with the opposition.