DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza said his being named as one of the advisers of his new political party, the Liberal Party, would reunite him with Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II, his former colleagues at the House of Representatives.

“It’s like a reunion of sorts. I worked alongside Mar (Roxas) and Noynoy (Aquino) in Congress. I worked with Mar in the Cabinet. I feel comfortable with this tandem,” he told the Inquirer on Saturday.

Braganza, former press secretary and political affairs adviser of President Macapagal-Arroyo, said he will bring with him his expertise as a political organizer and media affairs planner in his new role as LP adviser.

Braganza said Roxas, the LP president, asked him to be his political adviser when Roxas was still planning to run for president. But as a new member of LP, Braganza said he would not only work with Roxas but for the entire party.

Roxas, he said, offered him the position even before he joined LP.

“But I felt I needed to join the party so I can work more harmoniously with the members,” Braganza said.

Braganza, former Pangasinan Gov. Victor Agbayani and former Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino, all former Lakas-CMD leaders, were sworn in as LP members last week.

Aside from believing that the Aquino-Roxas tandem can bring the needed change and implement reforms in the country, Braganza said LP can protect him as a politician and prospective candidate.

He said he felt that membership with the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD was “very confusing” and “as if there was no affection” from its leaders.

“I was the chair of Lakas-CMD in the city and my opponent in the last mayoral elections was a member of Kampi. With the merger, how can we work this out? It’s very confusing,” he said.

But Braganza clarified that he had nothing against Lakas-CMD, which, he said, “delivered good programs and projects” and “produced one of the best presidents of the country.”

Braganza said he decided to leave Lakas-CMD, which his uncle, former President Fidel Ramos, co-founded, because “it was difficult to accept its merger with Kampi.” Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon