Dropped Liberal Party bet 'deserves' Cabinet post

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III should appoint House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III as member of his official family, a senatorial bet of the Liberal Party (LP)-led administration ticket said Tuesday. 

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara, one of the candidates of the LP ticket, said Tañada "deserves" to be a part of Aquino's Cabinet.

"Representative Tañada deserves to be in the coalition's line-up but we're hoping that he will get a greater role in the Aquino administration or even in other capacity that he deserves," said Angara, a stalwart of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), in Filipino.  

"I think my plans si Presidente sa kanya (The President has plans for him)," Angara added.

The LP will be in coalition with the LDP, Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People's Coalition, Akbayan party, and the National Unity Party.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares, a colleague of Tañada and Angara at the House of Representatives, earlier criticized the LP for not including its stalwart in its senatorial slate.

In fact, only three of the administration candidates are members of the LP, former Senators Jamby Madrigal and Ramon Magsaysay Jr., and presidential cousin Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV.

"Si Erin ay kusang nagbigay daan para mas mapalawak ang samahan ng nasa tuwid na landas," Aquino said during the proclamation of the administration candidates Monday. 

Tañada, also the spokesperson of the LP, did not attend the proclamation of the so-called Magic 12 last Monday.

Tañada has yet to comment on his party's decision to drop him from the administration slate. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)