LP eyes Pimentel in senatorial slate

MANILA, Philippines — The Liberal Party is open to the possibility of having Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III run in their senatorial slate after he bolted the United Nationalist Alliance coalition of former president Joseph Estrada and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

House deputy speaker and LP spokesman Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III said that it was possible for Pimentel to run under their party for the 2013 midterm polls.

LP has nothing to do with the clash between Pimentel and former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, according to Tanada who begged off commenting on the matter.

He said that the administration bloc considered Pimentel as one of their priorities but admitted that they would accept the senator’s decision should he chose to remain with Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Pimentel earlier announced that he was leaving UNA because he could not bring himself to run in the coalition’s senatorial slate with Zubiri.