LP-NP alliance
-A A +ATuesday, July 3, 2012
IT SEEMS like a “modus vivendi” or political alliance has been reached by the administration Liberal Party (LP) and the Nacionalista Party (NP) of Sen. Manny Villar. This alliance, I suspect, was forged during the impeachment trial of former chief justice Renato Corona. Why? Because reelectionist senators identified with Villar and who voted for the dismissal of Corona are in LP’s senatorial lineup.
Even Villar’s wife, former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, is in the lineup. This means that the NP will no longer field its own slate in next year's elections.
Others in the list are former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr.; Senators Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, Koko Pimentel and Chiz Escudero; former Akbayan congresswoman Risa Hontiveros; Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon; Aurora Province Rep. Sonny Angara (son of Sen. Edgardo Angara); former Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Ace Barbers; Quezon province Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada; Tesda Director Joel Villañueva; Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairperson Grace Poe-Llamanzares; and Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (cousin of President Noynoy Aquino). Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is also being considered.
Legarda was running mate of Villar in the 2010 elections while Cayetano is a loyal ally. The elder Angara voted to oust Corona.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who also voted to dismiss Corona, is fielding his son, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), a coalition of the PDP-Laban of Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay and the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former president Joseph Estrada.
Gringo Honasan, also a reelectionist and who voted for Corona's dismissal, is with UNA. Pimentel, who was among those that formed UNA, bolted the alliance because of his personal and political conflict with resigned senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who was absorbed by UNA.
Was the deal between the LP and NP forged during the impeachment trial? If so, who approached who? Did Malacañang initiate the move by offering the inclusion of Villar's group in the LP’s lineup in exchange for the vote dismissing Corona? I also think this alliance was formed to counter UNA.
In the local scene, first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas will no longer have a hard time deciding whether to link up or not with the LP considering the LP-NP alliance at the national level. In the 2010 presidential elections, Gullas’s Alayon party supported the NP, which had Villar as the party's presidential bet. Makalibog gyud ning pulitika no?
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Stalwarts of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) in the city council, apparently upon the instruction of their political master, south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña, boycotted the third State of the City Address (Soca) of Mayor Mike Rama the other day. They said there was nothing new to it, as it was full of promises and lies.
That is the problem with the opposition. They criticized Mike before he could deliver his Soca. How can they say Mike lied when they did not listen to him? They accused Mike of bussing people (hakot) so they will attend and listen to his Soca. Kinsa bay wala manghakot ninyo kun duna moy rally? Mamayad pa man gani mo.
Anyway, Mike’s Soca was not directed at the opposition. It was intended for Cebuanos so they will know what he did and what he intends to do with the remaining one year of his administration. Wa magsakit ang tiyan ni Mike kung wala mo maminaw. Di man gyud mahitabo nga modayeg mo niya. Pasalamat lang mo nga wa mokanta si Mike kay kun mikanta pa, abtan gyud og duha ka oras iyang concert, aw, Soca.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 04, 2012.
Opinion
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