One of the Liberal Party (LP) leaders suggested on Thursday, July 1, that his colleagues and supporters of the political opposition should wisen up and calm down as alliances start to form in preparation for the 2022 national elections.
Former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr., the party’s vice president for internal affairs, said in a Twitter post that opposition leaders should not wash their dirty linen in public.
“Yo mga ka-opposition. Wise tayo dapat ha. Kung meron kiskisan, wag na natin itweet or magpa presscon. United front dapat ang messaging (Hey, co-oppositionists. We should be wise. If there are misunderstandings, don’t tweet or hold a presscon about it. The messaging should be that of a united front). Alliances are not perfect pero (but) dialogue is always the key,” he wrote.
This was a day after former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV slammed the LP for saying that it is open to work with Senator Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to put up a united ticket for 2022.
He said that both Pacquiao and Moreno stood by President Duterte, something which they have worked against for the past five years.
The former Navy officer also questioned whether this move has the blessing of Vice President Leni Robredo, the party’s chairperson. But Baguilat and Quezon City 6th District Rep. Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte, the party’s secretary-general. were quick to point out that there’s nothing wrong with reaching out to others.
READ: United opposition in 2022? Trillanes, LP spar over presidential bets
Baguilat, who is responsible for LP’s recruitment activities, stressed that the administration is already in disarray because multiple personalities are vying to run for president.
“Si Manny tinatanggal na sa PDP at inaaway ni PRRD. Then hindi alam ng DDS kung Sara-Gibo or Bong Go-Digong. Meron pa BBM-Gwen. Kaya tayo, Kalma lang. United Front. (Manny is being kicked out of PDP and PRRD is fighting him. Then, the DDS don’t know if it’s going to be Sara-Gibo or Bong Go-Digong. There’s also BBM-Gwen. So, us, let’s calm down. United Front),” he said.
The former lawmaker was referring to the two factions inside the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban): one led by Pacquiao and the other by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who has Duterte’s support.
READ: Duterte-Pacquiao relationship ‘not as cordial as it was’ — Palace
Although presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she is not interested to run, many in her own party want an alliance with Lakas-CMD’s Gilbert Teodoro, the former defense secretary under the Arroyo administration who lost in 2010 elections against his cousin, the late former President Benigno Aquino III.
Another possibility is for the Chief Executive to run as vice president with his former aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as the standard-bearer.
Baguilat claimed that there are also reports that former Senator Bongbong Marcos and Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia will be running-mates next year. It has long been reported that Marcos has plans to regain Malacañang.
Belmonte, however, earlier said that only Robredo can unite the pro-democracy forces, all of whom aim to dislodge the current administration coalition out of power.
"And as she (Robredo) would always say: Hindi pwedeng tayo-tayo lang. Hindi pwedeng nasa mga sarili nating echo chamber lang tayo lagi (We cannot do it alone. We cannot always stay in our echo chamber) We need to reach out and listen to others,” he stressed.
Robredo has yet to decide if she will run as president or as governor of her home province Camarines Sur. But Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte said that the vice president will not meet the one-year eligibility requirement to run as governor.