KALIBO, Aklan, Philippines—The Liberal Party is confident of gaining the upper hand in next year’s mid-term elections even as other political parties continue to build and strengthen their ranks.
“We are confident about the 2013 elections in so far as the Liberal Party is concerned,” Senator Franklin Drilon, LP vice chairman, told the Inquirer here on Wednesday on the sidelines of the celebration of Aklan’s 56th foundation day.
In his speech at the LP assembly at the Aklan Training Center, Drilon said that “contemporary political history” was on their party’s side in the 2013 elections. He pointed out that the administration party always wins in mid-term elections.
Drilon said they were not threatened by provincial sorties of Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
“That is expected of the vice president (because) he has his sights on the 2016 elections and is expected to build up his party. They are our allies, so we do not consider them as antagonists,” he said.
Drilon, however, said it was “too early to make any firm pronouncement” when asked if the LP would join forces with or run against Binay’s PDP-Laban or UNA, a coalition of PDP-Laban and the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino of deposed President Joseph Estrada.
Nevertheless, the LP has also started to build up its forces.
Drilon administered the oath of new members in Aklan led by Gov. Carlito Marquez and 10 municipal mayors who came from Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Aklan Representative Florencio Miraflores is also with the LP.
The LP now counts as its members four senators, 84 congressmen, 48 city mayors, 18 city vice mayors, 27 governors, 338 municipal mayors, 218 municipal vice mayors, 1,628 councilors and 179 provincial board members, according to Drilon.
The LP will also swear in new members in Antique on Friday.
Binay and PDP-Laban officials have also being visiting Visayas provinces, recruiting or swearing in new members.
Last Sunday, Binay welcomed 58 new members on Guimaras Island which included incumbent officials, mostly former members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, and prospective candidates in the 2013 elections.
Among the new PDP-Laban members were Guimaras Governor Felipe Nava and Vice Governor Aurelio Tionado, six board members, a municipal mayor, three vice mayors and 23 municipal councilors.