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By Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter
Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza yesterday
said the Liberal Party (LP) faction under his leadership is willing
to reach out to the group now led by Sen. Mar Roxas in an effort to
unify the party.
During yesterday’s celebration of the 62nd
anniversary of the Liberal Party attended by more than a hundred
Liberal Party leaders, Atienza said his group is open for any
discussions with Roxas’ faction.
“We really have to unite the Liberal Party
because we have proven that we are weaker whenever we are
divided,” he noted.
Atienza, however, said that unity in the party
can only be achieved if they agree to follow the party’s rule in
electing a president.
“We will be united, but only if we submit to
the desires of most party members, which are sincerity, truth, and
loyalty. Let us be loyal to each other, loyal to the country, loyal
to the Constitution and loyal to the rule of law,” he said.
“They should open up their minds. Holding an
election without giving many party members the opportunity to vote
is simply unacceptable,” he added.
The former Manila mayor, who was elected party
president by his faction in March 2006, said he was expelled on the
eve of the election by the group, which was then led by Sen.
Franklin Drilon.
Respect court decision
On Friday, the Roxas-led LP urged Atienza to
respect the Supreme Court decision on the party leadership row and
accept the offer of unity extended by the party president.
“The Supreme Court has spoken on the LP
leadership case and the entire country knows which group represents
the legitimate party leadership,” said Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada,
speaking in behalf of the LP faction of Roxas.
“Secretary Atienza and his group of LP
renegades must yield to the Supreme Court decision and desist from
further confusing the people. The most they will gain will be a
citation for contempt of court,” he added.
Atienza, however, countered that he was never
expelled by the court as a member of the party.
“They were citing that the Supreme Court
expelled us. The court never decided to expel me. It only advised us
to follow the party’s constitution and hold the elections at the
proper time,” Atienza said. “We waited for that, but what they
did last November was an election by themselves and we were not even
consulted.”
He added that the election that should have
united the party only worsened the situation.
“Their refusal to uphold the rule of law is
the same issue that divides us now,” he commented.
No presidential candidate yet
Meanwhile, Atienza said that the issue of who
will be presidential candidate of the party under his leadership is
not yet discussed by party members.
“Let us not talk about who will be the
presidential candidate for 2010. That will only cause further
division. What we are trying to do right now is to achieve unity
inside the party. That is our primary concern right now,” Atienza
said.
He added that if and when the party chooses its
official candidate for the 2010 presidential election, it shall be
the decision of the majority of the party members, including
officials from the local level.
Asked to comment on the possibility that he
might be chosen as the presidential candidate of the party, Atienza
said that it is not yet the time for such issues.
“I thank those who see me as a possible
presidentiable, but this is not the time for that. Let’s fix our
problems first before we even talking of candidacy.”
“At the proper time, maybe by 2009, we may
start to discuss that. But as of now, we must give the people the
service due to them first,” he said.
LP’s 62nd year
Atienza’s group celebrated the 62nd founding
anniversary of the Liberal Party yesterday through a gathering of
party members at the Manila Hotel.
Roxas’ faction, meanwhile, plans to celebrate
the anniversary on January 30 through a series of community-based
activities in a barangay in Quezon City that will culminate with a
“mini-town hall meeting” where party members and officials will
interact and discuss current issues and advocacies with local
residents.
The Liberal Party (LP) was founded on January
19, 1946 by Manuel Roxas, the first president of the Third
Philippine Republic.
The party was formed by Roxas from what was once
the “Liberal Wing” faction of the old Nacionalista Party.
Besides Roxas, two more LP members were elected
as president of the Philippines: Elpidio Quirino and Diosdado
Macapagal.
Two other elected presidents came from the party
before joining the Nacionalista party: Ramon Magsaysay and Ferdinand
Marcos
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