Kiko Pangilinan: LP reaching out to Lacson, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Isko Moreno for Eleksyon 2022

Liberal Party president and Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday said they are making initiatives to reach out to Senators Panfilo Lacson, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno for next year’s elections.

In a virtual interview with reporters, Pangilinan said the opposition party seeks to bring together the “broadest unity possible” which he said is “critical” in order to build a slate that will go against the administration in the upcoming polls.

“Nandiyan si Senator Lacson, nandiyan si Senator Villanueva, nandiyan si Senator Binay ‘di ba? Nandiyan si Isko Moreno, nandiyan, of course, si Vice president Leni [Robredo],” Pangilinan said.

(There's Senator Lacson, Senator Villanueva, Senator Binay, right? Also, Isko Moreno is there, and of course, Vice President Leni.)

“Can you imagine kung lahat ‘yon ay magkaisa para sabihin na gusto natin ng mas magandang direksyon sa ating bansa?” he pointed out.

(Can you imagine if all of them will unite to give a better direction for this country?)

Pangilinan said there are informal discussions between the LP and the personalities mentioned when asked if the opposition party has already reached them out.

“There are discussions, informal. May mga pinapaabot na kung maaring magkaroon ng mga pag-uusap. (There are invitations to conduct discussions.) So the Liberal Party is willing to help bring together with the leadership of our Vice President, help bring together the broadest unity possible come 2022,” he said.

“Sabihin na nating mayroong efforts to reach out,” Pangilinan added.

(Let’s just say there are efforts to reach them out.)

Although the tandem of Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III is being floated as the 2022 polls is fast approaching, Pangilinan said the LP is just open to building alliances and coalitions to bring together the “broadest unity possible.”

“Again, balikan natin ang leksyon sa EDSA 1 at EDSA 2 na hanggat maaari, nasa usapan naman ‘yan basta magkaroon ng maliwanag na pagkakaisa, bukas ang LP sa ganoong pinakamalawak na pagkakaisa,” he said.

(Again, we will recall the lessons from EDSA 1 and EDSA 2 revolutions where as much as possible, we seek for unity and the LP is open to that broadest coalition.)

Pangilinan earlier supported Robredo’s call to field one candidate for the presidency to run against the administration's candidate.

Should Robredo decline calls to run for the presidency, Pangilinan said that LP is willing to support a candidate outside their party.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, a stalwart of the opposition party, said the LP will definitely rally behind Robredo should she gun for the country’s top post.

Robredo is among the nominees of the anti-Duterte coalition 1Sambayan which recently named its possible bets for presidency and vice presidency in the 2022 elections.

Aside from Robredo, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Senator Grace Poe, CIBAC party-list Representative Eduardo Villanueva, lawyer Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno, and Batangas Representative Vilma Santos-Recto were named as 1Sambayan’s nominees. 

‘Not the first time’

Asked for a reaction on Pangilinan’s statement, Lacson said this is not the first time that LP has reached out to him.

“Not the first time naman na may overture from the LP camp and all those times that I was approached, I have always responded with an open mind - As far as the Liberal Party it is [a] work in progress,” he told reporters in a Viber message.

“I guess it’s the scheduling and other factors kaya hindi pa inuupuan - until the 1Sambayan coalition emerged, with public pronouncements that tend to divide rather than unite,” he added.

(I guess it’s the scheduling and other factors that is why we didn’t have the time to talk about it— until the 1Sambayan coalition emerged, with public pronouncements that tend to divide rather than unite.)

Lacson said Pangilinan has not personally talked to him regarding the 2022 polls but he already discussed it with other LP members and coalition allies.

‘Wounds to mend’

Binay, for her part, said there are wounds that the LP should mend with her before any talks about the 2022 elections.

"May mga sugat na dapat munang gamutin bago kami mag usap tungkol sa 2022,” she said without elaborating.

(There are wounds that we must heal before we talk about 2022.)

Meanwhile, Villanueva said he is open to building coalitions with different political groups especially the big organizations such as LP and the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

He thanked Pangilinan and Sotto— who chairs the NPC— for including his name in the coalitions that they are establishing.

Villanueva said discussions on building coalitions are not only a “pre-election ritual” for CIBAC party-list— the political group that he previously represented in the House of Representatives.

“Sa halip, ito po ay isang dynamic na proseso na tuloy-tuloy at nakabatay na rin sa shared goals and common vision,” he further explained.

(Instead, this is a dynamic process which continues and is based on shared goals and common vision.)

“The reality is that no matter how big your party is, you never walk – or work – alone. It is always good to march with a lot of good people. That is how progress is made,” he said.

Like any other groups, Villanueva said unity should be driven by the willingness to restore the country from the effects brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ito po para sa atin ang pinakamahalaga ngayon, ang mapagtagumpayan ang pandemyang ito,” he said.

(For us, this is the most important matter today— to win the fight against the pandemic.) — RSJ, GMA News