Filtered By: Topstories
News

Liberal Party poised to get only 18 out of 244 House seats in 2019 polls


The once-ruling Liberal Party is set to face yet another uphill battle at the House of Representatives as it is poised to clinch only 18 out of the 244 seats for district representatives after the 2019 midterm elections.

Partial and unofficial results in the Commission on Elections' transparency server showed that in Metro Manila, only four Liberal Party members are set to represent their respective legislative districts.

These are reelectionist congressmen Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte of the sixth district of Quezon City and Edgar Erice of the second district of Caloocan City.

Economics professor Stella Luz Quimbo is set to replace her husband, Miro Quimbo, to represent the second district of Marikina City, while Romulo "Kid" Peña Jr. defeated former Vice President Jejomar Binay at the congressional race in the first district of Makati City.

All four have eventually been proclaimed as winners in their respective districts.

In the provinces, 11 Liberal Party members have already been proclaimed as winners in their respective congressional races.

These are Francis Gerald "Blue" Abaya of the first district of Cavite, Josephine Sato of the lone district of Occidental Mindoro, Cheryl Deloso-Montalla of the second district of Zambales, Gabriel Bordado of the second district of Camarines Sur, Emmanuel "Tawi" Billones of the first district of Capiz, Edgar Chatto of the first district of Bohol, and Raul del Mar of the first district of Cebu City.

Leading in their congressional bids are Boy Umali of the second district of Oriental Mindoro, Edcel Lagman of the first district of Albay, Jocelyn Limkaichong of the first district of Negros Oriental, Paul Daza of the first district of Northern Samar, Edgar Mary Sarmiento of the first district of Samar, Isagani Amatong of the third district of Zamboanga Del Norte, and Mujiv Hataman of the lone district of Basilan.

Meanwhile, only two of the 81 gubernatorial posts nationwide were won by Liberal Party members.

These are Kaka Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands and Marilou Cayco of Batanes. Bag-ao is the incumbent representative of the lone district of Dinagat Islands at the House of Representatives.

In addition, 11 Liberal Party mayoralty candidates either have been proclaimed or poised to win in the 2019 local elections, two of which are in Metro Manila.

These are Jaime Fresnedi of Muntinlupa City, Antolin "Len Len" Oreta of Malabon City, Emmanuel Maliksi of Imus City, Nelson Legacion of Naga City, Madz Alfelor of Iriga City, Ronnie Dadivas of Roxas City in Capiz and Sitti Hataman of Isabela City in Basilan, Krisel Lagman-Luistro of Tabaco City in Albay, Felipe Remollo of Dumaguete City, Beng Climaco of Zamboanga City, and Darwin Estrañero of Tabuk City.

Transfer of political parties

In the 2016 elections, the Liberal Party won 115 seats in the House of Representatives. But this number decreased dramatically as many transferred to other parties, mostly to the ruling PDP-Laban, during the first three years of President Rodrigo Duterte, the party chairperson.

The LP then was left with 17 members in the House of Representatives before the 2019 midterm elections took place.

Belmonte, who serves as secretary general of Liberal Party, said that with a small number of congressmen from their group poised to win in the elections, the public can expect "the same tyranny from the supermajority."

Nevertheless, the Liberals and its allies will remain firm with their values and principles, he said.

"Maaaring kaunti kami, pero lalaban kami. Dahil hindi nadadaan sa paramihan ng mga nakataas na kamay ang tama at mali," he said.

Senatorial race

In the national level, the odds are likewise not in favor of the Liberal Party, as no candidate from the Otso Diretso slate, to which it is attached, has made it so far to the Top 12 in the senatorial race.

Five of them have also formally conceded already.

But party president and Otso Diretso campaign manager Senator Francis Pangilinan said that despite this development, the fight for the slate's causes are far from over.

"Tumaya tayo at kumilos hindi dahil sa katiyakan ng ang panalo kundi dahil sa katiyakan ng ating paniniwala at panininidigan. Kaya anuman ang magiging resulta ng halalan, tuloy pa rin ang pagsulong ng ating panininidigan at paniniwala," Pangilinan said in an earlier statement. — RSJ, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT