MANILA, Philippines — With two years left before the 2022 national elections, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the Liberal Party is “preparing” but is deliberately staying “below the radar” so as not to “prejudice” its efforts to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are preparing but in a manner that is consistent and that would not prejudice our efforts to help our country in terms of being able to recover from this very difficult situation we are in today,” Drilon, who sits as vice chairman of LP, said in an online media forum on Wednesday when asked on the party’s plan for the upcoming elections.
“It’s difficult when you have over 50,000 (people) who are positive of COVID. It’s difficult to talk about politics so we are below the radar because I think what we should do at this point is to join hands—all sectors of society—in order to help our people and help our country recover from this pandemic,” he added.
Currently, opposition Senator Francis Pangilinan serves as the party’s president while Vice President Leni Robredo serves as chairman.
Drilon was also asked if the Liberal Party is “still a force to be reckoned with” in the world of politics in the country given that most seats in Congress are filled with administration allies.
“We have a brand. No matter how people dislike ‘Dilawan,’ we have a brand and we stand on certain principles. That would not disappear. It would always be there,” he said, referring to the color yellow that had been associated with the Liberal Party.
“We stand for people’s rights, we stand for participatory management, democratic principles. So I’m not worried about that,” the Senate leader further said.