DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Former president Fidel Ramos has given his blessings to the transfer of a nephew and former Arroyo Cabinet member, Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza, to the Liberal Party to support the Aquino-Roxas ticket in what could be an indication of the ex-president’s own preference.

In a statement, Braganza said he had asked permission from Ramos, his uncle, to join the LP and the former President gave his "blessings and smiled."

"That is a good decision on your part," Braganza quoted Ramos as telling him.

Braganza, together with other Pangasinan political leaders, took oaths as members of the LP during rites at the party headquarters in Quezon City on Friday.

Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Sr. said he saw the defections as a gesture of protest on the part of Lakas-CMD members in Pangasinan against the party’s merger with President Macapagal Arroyo’s political party, Kampi.

"The Pangasinan officials will strengthen the Liberal Party and the presidential and vice presidential bids of Senators Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas," said De Venecia, one of the founders of Lakas who was ousted as Speaker after a falling out with Ms Arroyo.

De Venecia had petitioned the Commission on Elections to nullify the Lakas-Kampi merger but lost the case.

He said he has not given up hope that he could regain control of Lakas.

"I am still trying to fight the battle in the Supreme Court," he said.

With Braganza at the oath-taking ceremonies were Representative Victor Agbayani and former Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino, once stalwarts of the administration Lakas-CMD in Pangasinan, the country’s most vote-rich province.

The three Pangasinan political leaders took their oaths as new LP members before LP standard bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and LP president, Sen. Manuel Roxas Jr., at the party headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City.

Agbayani, who is the new LP head in the province, will be the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2010 elections.

He said other Pangasinan officials have signified their intention to join the LP.

"I tell you, the candidates who are joining the LP are quality candidates. Some served for three terms and are very popular and they share the vision for reform," Agbayani said.

Agbayani and Lambino were provincial chair and vice chair, respectively, of Lakas-CMD while Braganza was deputy secretary general.

Agbayani said they left the Lakas-CMD because they believed there was "a need for change and reform for the country and that the LP under Senators Aquino and Roxas will deliver the needed change and reforms."

Braganza said he bade goodbye to the party but "nagpaalam ako ng maayos (I said goodbye properly)" to former President Ramos.

Braganza, who is also former congressman and press secretary of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is running for a third term as mayor of Alaminos .

Ramos is co-founder of Lakas CMD together with former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., also a Pangasinan representative.

Braganza said he wanted to help Aquino and Roxas, who were his colleagues in Congress.

"They are my friends and I believe they can bring change to the country," he said.

Ramos opposed the merger of Lakas-CMD with Kampi and rejected an offer to be the merged party’s chair emeritus.

Braganza was on his second term as congressman of the first district of Pangasinan when Ms Arroyo appointed him agrarian reform secretary in February 2001.

He stayed at the post until 2003, when he was appointed press secretary. He left the post a year after to run for mayor of Alaminos.

Other Pangasinan officials who joined the LP were Board Member Danny Dizon, former Board Member Ariel de Guzman, Bani Mayor Marcelo Navarro, Calasiao Vice Mayor Nanding Galang, Aguilar Vice Mayor Boyet Sagles, Councilors Joe Ferrer and Edith Hallare of Lingayen and Councilor Francis Tinio of Binalonan.