LP, NPC spokespersons: No rift within coalition

(Updated 7:09 p.m.) Spokespersons for the Liberal Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition on Wednesday denied any rift in their coalition, following a newspaper report saying that the NPC cannot assure its support to all senatorial bets of the administration coalition.

 

Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, NPC spokesperson, said his party is not dissolving its partnership agreement with the LP.

 

“The party is steadfast in working towards the electoral success of the coalition candidates. The NPC will continue to support the President and his reform agenda till his last day in office,” Gatchalian said in a text message.

 

He added that none of the party’s officials have made a statement that the NPC will not endorse all of the ruling party’s senatorial candidates for the 2013 polls. 

 

A report published on The Manila Bulletin, however, quoted former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, son of NPC founder Eduardo Cojuangco, as saying that the party can guarantee its support to only three of the 12 senatorial bets of the LP-lead coalition. “Only two NPC senatorial bets, three including Chiz (Senator Francis Escudero), have a guarantee of our support,” the Manila Bulletin report quoted Cojuangco as saying.  

But the NPC has only one candidate in the administration coalition, re-electionist Senator Loren Legarda. Another re-electionist, Senator Francis Escudero, was formerly aligned with the NPC, but decided to bolt the party in 2009.

 

The administration coalition also includes candidates from the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), the Nacionalista Party (NP), the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and the Akbayan party-list.  Two other senatorial bets—Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile of the United Nationalist Alliance and independent candidate Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn—are aligned with the NPC. Personal sentiments In a separate text message, Cojuangco clarified that his statements quoted in the newspaper report only reflect his personal sentiments and not the stand of the NPC. He added that while he supports President Benigno Aquino III's programs, he will not limit himself to choosing among administration bets on who to vote and endorse for the upcoming polls. "I think other parties have candidates who can help PNoy succeed in his programs till 2016 who do not necessarily come from LP," Cojuangco said. Interior and Local Government chief Manuel Roxas II, who is on leave as LP president, meanwhile said that NPC officials already pledged to support the entire administration slate even before the start of the campaign season. "They [LP and NPC officials] went through weekly meetings... The output was an agreement where there would be nationwide mutual support for the senatorial slate," Roxas said in a separate statement. He added that this agreement should still be followed even in areas where LP and NPC candidates are running against each other in local races. For his part, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, LP campaign spokesperson, also belied claims that the NPC will only support selected administration candidates.

 

“The report that the NPC has bolted Team PNoy is untrue. It is part of the tsunami of intrigues to break the formidable force of the coalition,” Evardone said in a separate text message.  — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ/BM, GMA News