Senior administration Representatives Mauricio Domogan (Lakas, Baguio City) and Edwin Uy (Lakas, Isabela) quickly rebuffed Escudero’s view. "They (the United Opposition) should wake up to the reality that the nation is moving forward under President Arroyo, notwithstanding the worst efforts of the opposition to impede our progress," Domogan and Uy said in a statement.

Escudero, a shoo-in in the opposition’s senatorial slate, said the voting public will seize the chance to vote on May 14 to let the administration know how they feel concerning social issues such as poverty, peace and order and political matters such as the President’s legitimacy and the recent Constitutional Assembly fiasco.

The House opposition leader also chided Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor for saying that the May 2007 senatorial polls would mark the third round of battle between the Arroyo and Estrada forces.

"Enough of playing up the fight between President Arroyo and President Estrada. Six years after Edsa II, we’re still in the shadow of this battle, on who’s better between them. Enough of partisan politics. More pressing issues concerning the country should be given priority," Escudero said.

Estrada had personally chosen Escudero and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano to be included in the opposition’s senatorial lineup. Also guaranteed of a slot is the former president’s son, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito.

Escudero also rebutted Defensor’s statement that several of the prospective candidates of the opposition were actually involved in ousting Estrada in 2001.

"They (former allies of the administration) should be commended for not sticking to the Arroyo administration despite financial offers and other privileges offered to them just to remain in their camp," Escudero said.

Among those referred to by Defensor was former Vice President Teofisto Guingona who became famous for his "I accuse" indictment of former President Estrada, who was eventually charged with plunder and graft.

Meanwhile, Domogan and Uy dubbed the opposition’s claim that they would win all 12 seats in the Senate and 100 seats in the House as plain wishful thinking and a bluff to boost their flagging prospects in the coming polls.

Domogan, the Lakas chairman for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), said the United Opposition’s projection that it would gain control of both the Senate and the House is an impossible dream because the administration coalition remains a formidable force in the midterm elections.

"That’s only in their dreams. Apparently they are being misled by their own propaganda. Their hunger for power is causing all these hallucinations about a landslide win," he said.

Uy, the Lakas co-chairman for the Cagayan Valley Region, said the opposition is all show but has no real force. "The public expected the opposition to offer a constructive alternative, a credible leader, and good machinery, but the opposition failed to offer any of these in the previous polls, and this time will be no different," Uy said.