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BY Sam Mediavilla and Maricel V.
Cruz, Reporters
Malacañang said on Tuesday that
most of President Arroyo’s political allies would abide with her
call to form a unity slate for the May 2007 polls.
At a press briefing Palace
Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the President backed Chief of Staff
Michael Defensor’s unity slate proposal as “a matter of
principle.”
“She has been pursuing this
[unity] even at the start of her elected term,” Bunye said.
“We might not be able to
satisfy all the members of the party, but I believe most of the
party members would subscribe or would follow the objectives of the
President,” he added.
Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in
Congress earlier raised strong objections to the proposal, demanding
a caucus to thresh out the controversy.
But on Tuesday, they backed down
from their initial opposition.
House Majority Leader Prospero
Nograles of Davao City said members of the Lakas-Christian Muslim
Democrats have to back the proposal because of Mrs. Arroyo’s
stand.
Nograles said there is no longer
a need for a caucus.
“The President is the titular
head of all coalition political parties and she will have the final
say. Whatever her ticket, we will support. The coalition must
support her ticket,” Nograles told The Manila Times.
“All parties [in the ruling
coalition] are represented by their presidents and officers, and
they can bind their groups,” Nograles added.
Bunye, responding to questions
about restive administration allies, said: “In any democratic
organization you cannot have 100 percent agreement but I’m very
confident that majority of the members of the coalition would
support the decision of the President.”
Liberal Party Rep. Rozzano Rufino
Biazon of Muntinlupa said members are divided on the unity ticket
proposal.
“Some [LP] members are open to
it, some do not accept the idea … We have yet to take to take
formal party stand,” Biazon said at a news conference.
Biazon said they expect to
announce their party stand on the unity ticket by February 15.
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