Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Vicente Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) said many party members have become disgruntled at the Liberal Party’s (LP) decision to field its own candidates in local government units where incumbent NPC-affiliated officials have been campaigning for reelection.
“If there is a coalition with the LP, how come the administration is fielding candidates in areas where the incumbent NPC are also running?” Sotto asked in a phone interview.
Sotto said many of his NPC party mates have called on him complaining that the coalition supposedly forged among the LP, NPC and the Nacionalista Party has not been honored at all.
The senator mentioned several provinces during the phone conversation but refused to go on record, saying he needed to go over the complete list of provinces, cities and towns where NPC incumbents have not received the support from the Aquino administration and where the ruling Liberal Party has fielded bets.
Told that NPC spokesperson, Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, denied reports that his party has been pondering leaving the coalition, Sotto said: “But our candidates are up in arms!”
“I hope Rex will talk to them (disgruntled NPC members). Can you talk of a coalition where nilagyan mo kami ng mga kalaban sa lugar na kami ang nakaupo?” Sotto huffed.