No mass defection to Duterte side–LP

Senate President Franklin Drilon. JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

THERE is no exodus of Liberal Party (LP) stalwarts in Mindanao to the PDP-Laban, the party of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte now that he is running for President, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Monday.

In a radio interview, Drilon said that, on the contrary, the LP had received letters from its leaders in Mindanao denying media reports that they had bolted the LP to join the PDP-Laban in support of Duterte.

Among these leaders were those based in Compostela Valley who said that “they will continue to support (former Interior) Secretary Mar Roxas,” he said.

“Of course there were some who had committed [to Duterte] but this was not as if LP members were bolting [the party] by the truckload,” Drilon said.

He conceded that it was “natural” for those in Davao to go for Duterte because they had been waiting for the mayor to make up his mind about running for the presidency.

Asked whether this would prompt the LP to campaign more intensely in Mindanao, Drilon said: “Whether there was this development or not, the LP will campaign strongly in Mindanao.”

The LP leaders who were reportedly leaving the party to support Duterte included former Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, who said he and his party mates would cross party lines to support Duterte’s presidential bid.

Uy, however, later clarified that he would be supporting Roxas’ candidacy.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., LP vice chair, said that no incumbent official from Mindanao had defected to Duterte’s camp.

“In fact, it even triggered congressmen and governors to come and affirm their support for LP presidential bet Mar Roxas,” said Belmonte in a text message.

Meanwhile, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) president and Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao said that any fallout from the NPC’s ranks would be negligible because most of its members had long factored in Duterte’s run in 2016 despite his playing it coy months before the deadline for filing of candidacies lapsed on Oct. 16.

“Any exodus would be confined only to Davao City and its provinces, if any at all. The support of most NPC members remain strong and solid behind Sen. Grace Poe,” Aggabao said.

LP spokesperson and Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said any repositioning of alliances was normal in any election.

“What we are certain is that after the President’s express declaration supporting Mar, we’ve beaten every one’s expectations. Instead of desertions as the opposition expected, we’ve had more political leaders moving over to lead the LP coalition,” said Quimbo.

Quimbo said that based on surveys, Duterte’s entry would affect the numbers of Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay in the National Capital Region and Mindanao.

Duterte recently filed a certificate of candidacy for President as a substitute candidate under PDP-Laban. But his substitution has yet to be approved by the Commission on Elections en banc.