President Benigno Aquino III FILE PHOTO
President Benigno Aquino III’s bet for 2016 may not necessarily be the Liberal Party’s (LP) choice, an administration lawmaker said on Saturday.
As the titular head, the President’s word carries a lot of weight within LP, but ultimately, his decision on who to support in next year’s election “will have to be approved by the LP members,” said Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas, chair of LP’s organizing and membership committee.
“Definitely, President Aquino’s personal decision on who to support in 2016 will carry a lot of weight on LP’s decision-making process but it is premature to be drawing conclusions at this time,” he said in a statement.
“The President has to make his decision first before the party can make an appropriate decision,” he said.
House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, in remarks made last week, both said the party would take its cue from Mr. Aquino.
“LP and President Aquino and [Interior Secretary] Mar Roxas will decide as one,” said Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, LP’s chair for political affairs.
“We know by heart and mind what to do to pursue ‘tuwid na daan’ (straight path) and provide continuity to the gains of the Aquino presidency,” he said.
Speculations about a looming breakup within the ruling party have surfaced in recent days as a result of conflicting signals about Mr. Aquino’s choice for LP standard-bearer, and differing views on whether to go with Roxas or Sen. Grace Poe.
Although some LP members are supporting Poe as LP’s possible standard-bearer, a majority of the party members are rooting for Roxas, a “true-blue” LP member, Treñas said.
“We can disagree but at the end of the day, we will decide as one party and embrace the decision of the majority,” he said. But Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., LP vice chair, said President Aquino’s word would likely prevail over everyone else’s in the LP.
“Insofar as LP [is concerned], maybe only he [will decide] in consultation with others,” Belmonte said.