The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is seeing a “sinister agenda” behind President Benigno Aquino III’s appointment of Macabangkit Lanto to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

UNA campaign manager Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco claimed that Team PNoy campaign manager Sen. Franklin Drilon lobbied hard for Lanto’s appointment.

“Senator Drilon has been consistent in his fearless forecast of an administration sweep of the May elections,” Tiangco said. “With the surprise appointment of his crony to the Comelec, we now know the reason for his smugness. He has an added ace in the Comelec.”

Reports reaching the UNA camp showed that the Liberal Party stalwart lobbied hard for Lanto’s appointment, said Tiangco.

“He desperately wanted Lanto in the Comelec. There is obviously a sinister agenda behind it and that agenda is Drilon’s 12-0,” he said.

With Lanto in the Comelec, the stage is set for a modified version of the 2004 elections where Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated Fernando Poe Jr. of his victory, Tiangco said.

 “The rules may have changed but the motive, the resources, and the key players remain the same,” he said.

“Just look at the personalities behind the LP coalition campaign. These are some of the personalities behind the overt and covert operations that cheated FPJ of his victory and they are using the same tactics they used in 2004,” he said.

The coalition is “extremely disappointed” with Lanto’s appointment given his political record, said Tiangco, pointing out that Lanto was removed from office in 1994 by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) because of poll fraud.

“We are extremely disappointed that such a person linked to poll fraud and with obvious ties to the LP campaign manager would be appointed in the middle of an election,” he said.

Nevertheless, the UNA coalition is prepared to barnstorm the 3rd district of Cavite this weekend.

Just like in its previous sorties, UNA expects to attract a sizeable crowd for the motorcade and the rally, which he said has become a point of envy of the administration party

“It shall all boil down to who has the better platform of government and legislative agenda to present to the 1.6 million registered voters of Cavite,” he said.

“And if we simply based it on the number of people attending UNA rallies, our Senate ticket is obviously way ahead of their counterparts in the ruling LP,” he said.