Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday said the Liberal Party (LP) held a strategic planning about two weeks ago to set their general direction after losing members following the May elections.
In a press briefing, Robredo, the LP’s interim chair, said the party was eyeing to strengthen and reorganize its membership from different sectors and not just politicians.
“Iyon iyong desisyon, at sa pagkakaintindi ko, going back to our core. Saan ba nagsimula ang Liberal Party, ano ba ang pinaniniwalaan and how to live up to those values?” said Robredo, who attended half-day of the two-day planning.
“Iyong napag-usapan doon ay to recognize that the Party is not made of politicians alone, but of representatives of different sectors. So iyong direksyon ngayon, babalik sa mga dating kasamahan sa mga sektor at papalakasin ulit ang Liberal Party,” she added.
(That’s the decision, and from what I gather, going back to our core. Where did the Liberal Party begin, what do we stand for and how do we live up to those values?
What was talked about there, is to recognize that the Party is not made up of politicians alone, but of representatives of different sectors. So the direction now is to return to our former colleagues in the sector and to strengthen the Liberal Party one again.)
Following her resignation from the Duterte Cabinet, Robredo in December said LP had been working to set a meeting with all its members and former President Benigno Aquino III to consolidate its forces as the voice of the opposition. But the Vice President clarified that the recent strategic planning was not a convention of all LP members, but more of a meeting of interim officers and core members.
“I think that the direction is that iyong mga probinsya na buo pa, na kahit na hindi buo, parang iyong mga miyembro natira, baka iyon ang unang puntahan. Parang pagsisimulan lang… Iyong pinaka-general direction talaga, mas sectoral. Kasi dati, very strong on sectoral membership,” Robredo added.
(I think that the direction is that those in the provinces who are still consolidated, even those that are still not consolidated, like those members who are left, perhaps that’s where we’ll go first. Just so we could begin…The general direction is really more sectoral. Since previously, [LP] was very strong on sectoral membership.)
Robredo said Aquino dropped by during the second day of the planning, which was also attended by LP interim president Sen. Francis Pangilinan.
Asked if the party had already come up with a united stand on the death penalty bill in Congress, the Vice President said members have yet to come up with a majority consensus.
“Wala pang fixed na desisyon. Nagtatanong-tanong yata sa mga members. Ang pagkakaintindi ko, I wasn’t there when it was discussed, pero ang pagkakaintindi ko, is to get a consensus. Kung magkaroon ng majority consensus, baka the Party will come out with a stand. Iyong pagkakaintindi ko, at least during the 15th Congress, pag hati ang pakiramdam ng members of the party, parang ine-encourage conscience vote,” she said.
(There’s no fixed decision yet. I think the members are asking around. From what I understand, I wasn’t there when it was discussed, but from what I understand, is to get a consensus. If a majority consensus is arrived at, perhaps the Party will come up with a stand. What I understand, at least during the 15th Congress, if the sentiments of the members of the party are divided, what is encouraged is a conscience vote.)
“Walang fixed na Party stand, walang Party discipline, in case hindi sumunod, mas conscience voting siya. Maraming LP members from the House of Representatives na iyon ang pinu-push. Na gawin siyang conscience vote. Pero iyong pinag-iwanang desisyon is to get a consensus. Marami talaga iyong either for or against, iyon ang gagawing party stand. Pero kung hati iyong pakiramdam ng members, conscience vote,” Robredo added.
(There is no fixed Party stand, no Party discipline, in case they don’t follow, we resort to conscience voting. Several LP members from the House of Representatives are pushing for that, to make it a conscience vote. But where we left off is to get a consensus. Several go for either a for or against Party stand. But if the sentiments of the members are divided, it’s a conscience vote.)
The administration-sponsored bill seeking to reinstate capital punishment for heinous crimes in the country is being debated on the plenary of the supermajority-controlled House of Representatives. CDG