Lakas, LDP join forces anew

The ruling Lakas-CMD party has joined forces anew with the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in a bid to strengthen the chances of the Team Unity in the May 14 mid-term polls. On Wednesday, Lakas president Speaker Jose de Venecia and LDP president Sen. Edgardo Angara signed a "strategic partnership" wherein both parties will share a "common platform and a shared legislative agenda." The first time that Lakas and LDP joined forces was in the 1995 senatorial elections, with Angara and former President Fidel Ramos spearheading the coalition. At the time, the coalition won 10 of 12 Senate seats up for grabs. The relationship soured, however, shortly after Angara was ousted as Senate president that same year. Angara then blamed Ramos and Lakas of having a hand in the Senate reorganization. But in Wednesday’s press briefing at the Forbes Park residence of De Venecia, Angara said of the first coalition then: "Our cooperation (with Lakas) in 1995 was probably the most productive in history." "We have shown that with cooperation, we can move forward," he added. Angara said that with a "stronger" partnership now, Team Unity could win between seven to eight Senate seats. Angara is seeking reelection this year. "This is an advocacy of Angara and myself," De Venecia said. LDP, which claims to have a vast machinery across the country, boasts of having the most extensive national network that Angara pegged at 95 percent at the municipality level and 100 percent at the provincial and city levels. "Our advantage is organizational muscle and clout. I think that is our strength. And there is vote delivery system unlike in the opposition, where they are campaigning individually," Angara said. In the same press briefing, De Venecia, Angara and Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabby Claudio reiterated that the Lakas-LDP partnership and the parties allied with the administration coalition, will implement the "equity of the incumbent" policy. This means the administration party will endorse incumbent local officials who are either members of Lakas-CMD, LDP, Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Kampi and Liberal Party wing of Manila Mayor Jose Atienza. Angara pointed out that being the "most dominant minority party" since 1992, the LDP is entitled to original copies of election returns of the Commission on Elections. Lakas, being the ruling party, is also entitled to an original copy. Angara stressed that for the Genuie Opposition (GO) to have an original copy of the ERs, it must comply with the three Comelec criteria, among them that it must have a high number of elected officials, candidates in the field and the extent of the national organization. Nonetheless, Angara said the GO can still be entitled to ERs, but only certified true copies or the original duplicates but not the originals. - GMANews.TV