MANILA, Philippines -- Five congressmen, three governors and city mayors belonging to the administration have rejoined the Liberal Party (LP) as it intensified its efforts to woo back its former allies in the administration, party president and former Senate President Franklin Drilon said.

Dubbed “Balik Liberal” (Back to Liberal), Drilon said the effort aimed to bring back to the LP fold members who left the party at the height of moves to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005.

The Arroyo ouster call split the LP into two factions – one headed by Drilon, who called on the President to step down, and another headed by then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, who stood by the President. Atienza is now environment secretary.

“We have launched a Balik Liberal program and those who used to be active in the party are now being recruited back to the fold, including, not only that small group but also a wider group in the provinces,” Drilon said on Thursday over the phone.

The small group he was referring to was the so-called “LP-Atienza wing,” which is now part of the newly-merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

Drilon said there were administration members who would join the LP but he refused to identify them.

But in a separate phone interview, former Batanes Representative Florencio Abad, vice president for advocacy and policy of LP, revealed that five congressmen, mostly from Lakas-Kampi-CMD, were joining the LP.

Three of these congressmen are now with LP but Abad still refused to identify them for fear that the administration would pressure them by not releasing their district allocations.

“So far, limang congressmen, tatlong governors [five congressmen, three governors] and city mayors,” said Abad.

Some rejoined the LP to support the presidential bid of Senator Manuel Roxas, Abad said.

Party spokesman and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III claimed that as early as 2007, at least 10 former allies have indicated their intentions to return to the party.

But there was no effort to get Atienza back to the LP, though “those identified with him” were exerting efforts to convince him to return, the congressman said.