‘Cooperation with P-Noy only, no coalition with LP’

A ‘super-coalition’ between the United Nationalist Alliance and the Liberal Party won’t happen said  President Benigno Aquino III’s uncle Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.

As the representative of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in  the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Cojuangco told Cebu Daily News that the party only wants to cooperate with the present administration and not to merge parties.

“It is a big mistake. We are not trying to make a coalition with the administration Liberal Party (LP). What is agreed upon by the top leaders is cooperation,” Cojuangco said.

The reports of the “super coalition” surfaced when San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito proposed  the super coalition between the UNA and the LP.

Cojuangco said the merger between Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and PDP-Laban is the last.

The LP leadership also rebuffed Ejercito’s proposal.

In Cebu province, such a coalition between the UNA and LP has also become untenable with the One Cebu Party of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia coalescing with UNA and the Durano-clan Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (Bakud) coalescing with LP.

One Cebu will be fielding Cebu 3rd district Rep. Pablo John Garcia while LP will be fielding Hilario “Junjun” Davide.

The divergence between  One Cebu and Bakud came after Bakud decided to have Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale as Davide’s running mate, shunning the invitation of the Garcias for her to run with them.

Binay, former president Erap Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and other top UNA  officials visited Cebu last Friday to attend the State of the Province Address (SOPA)  of  Governor Garcia who is one of the senatorial candidate of the UNA.

In Cebu City however, the lines between the UNA and LP is not yet very clear.

In fact LP members like Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama attended Governor Garcia’s SOPA, along with Team Rama members who are identi fied with PDP-Laban like Antonio Cuenco and City Councilor Jose Daluz III.

Cuenco and Daluz were offered to become PDP-Laban’s chairman in theCentral Visayas and Cebu City respectively.

Cuenco disagrees with the super coalition too.

“It is not good for democracy. We need an opposition to make the checks and balance in our government,” he said.

Cojuanco said that what is clear with UNA is their cooperation with the president in his reform agenda.

But their ‘cooperation’ with the president does not mean coalescing with his  party.

“The president is not the LP. Noynoy is not even the president of the LP.

“A coalition is only meant for political purposes. And I’m telling you there is no backdoor talks. What you are hearing is that some Liberals want to join UNA but we do not want to join them,” he said. /Marian Z. Codilla, Senior Reporter