Leaving out Tañada out of LP senatorial slate a ‘disservice to PH’

Deputy House Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III. PHOTO BY RYAN LEAGOGO

MANILA, Philippines—A party-list lawmaker on Thursday lambasted the Liberal Party’s decision to leave Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada out of its senatorial slate.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares deemed the move as a “disservice” to the country, defending the Quezon lawmaker’s track record in politics and saying that he deserved a seat at the Senate.

In a statement, the party-list lawmaker observed that the ruling party has set Tañada aside despite his track record and advocacies, things that he deemed as important criteria in picking someone out for a spot in the Senate.

He said that the LP seemed to have “favoritism” in choosing its candidates for the upcoming midterm elections in 2013, picking people which Colmenares believed would “toe their line.”