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Saturday, December 20, 2003
LDP suspends Angara as party head
MANILA -- The opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) has suspended its president for "committing acts inimical to the party."
But LDP head, Sen. Edgardo Angara, shrugged off the move, saying he cannot be simply ousted from his position.
LDP Secretary General Agapito Aquino said Angara's suspension took effect Dec. 15, arising from the complaint filed by Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico.
Suplico earlier sought Angara as he protested his relief as leader of the party in Iloilo.
Resolution
Aquino also cited a resolution issued by Angara to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which reportedly stated that if the party secretary-general nominates and signs a certificate of candidacy of any LDP bet, it is deemed illegal.
Aquino said he created a committee to look into Suplico's complaint and the committee recommended Angara's suspension.
When the matter was brought to Comelec, however, Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. told Aquino to settle the dispute with Angara and for the party to observe a status quo by reinstating Angara and the local party leaders.
But talks between Angara and Aquino failed.
Angara was unfazed by his reported suspension, saying "there is no rule in LDP wherein a secretary-general can suspend the chairman or the president of the party."
Suspend
"How can a secretary of an organization suspend a leader? That kind of antic should be stopped, otherwise it would create more tension," Angara said.
He called on members and officers of LDP to put and end to their bickering.
Meanwhile, Angara vehemently denied he is a "spy" of Malacaņang by pushing for movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. as presidential bet of the opposition even if Poe is not a member of the opposition party.
Poe was endorsed as presidential bet of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), a coalition of opposition parties LDP, Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban and of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
Angara's endorsement of Poe dismayed Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is also seeking the presidency, and Lacson's supporters in the LDP.
Spy
Angara said Lacson's analysis that he is a spy of the administration "is low-level [kind of] thinking for a presidentiable like him."
Angara said if he is conniving with the administration, then he should not have exerted efforts to unify the opposition and that he would not support the candidate of the opposition. Sunnex Luzon/JPM
(December 20, 2003 issue)
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