JV Ejercito: UNA ready to accept turncoats from LP 6 months before 2016

MANILA, Philippines–The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) plans to accept transferees from other political parties six months before the 2016 elections, according to Sen. JV Ejercito.

Ejercuito said many of those expected to jump ship were members of the ruling Liberal Party (LP)

He said about half of LP members in the House of Representatives had signified their intention to join UNA, now that a change of administration appears imminent.

LP members dominate the House, with 115 out of 290 seats occupied by its members. The rest of the seats are divided among several other political parties and party-list groups. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is the LP vice chair.

According to Ejercito, the LP members who have sought to ally themselves with UNA in the next elections are those not originally from the ruling party.

Personality-based

Many of them were members of Lakas, the dominant party during the Arroyo administration, and who just jumped ship to the LP when President Aquino came to power, he said.

He noted that politics in the country was “personality based.”

Ejercito said that UNA was deferring its move to formally accept the LP members as allies because if they transferred early, the lawmakers might face retaliation from the administration.

There could still be many projects and programs they could help accomplish if they remain identified with LP, he said.

“The administration might make things hard for them,” Ejercito added.

UNA is expected to field Vice President Jejomar Binay as its standard-bearer in 2016. Binay, who early on announced plans to run for president, has so far been topping surveys on voters’ preference.

But some officials say a lot could still happen in the two years before the elections.

UNA secretary general and Navotes Rep. Toby Tiangco earlier said he expected lawmakers to switch to the alliance in late 2015, when there would be a clearer picture of the political battle.

UNA positions itself as the opposition, but regularly claims to be supportive of President Aquino and his programs.