The ruling Liberal Party (LP)-led coalition that included the Nacionalista Party is proving to be unwieldy as it reported to have suffered a setback, just as when it’s supposedly already shaping up its senatorial slate, due to the inclusion of former Sen. Ana Ligaya Esperanza Consuelo Madrigal, better known as “Jamby,” in the coalition ticket.
The LP-led coalition, which sources said could likely announce its initial set of senatorial candidates a week from now, is now facing a “dilemma” similar to what the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) had in the past in having Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel Jr. and former Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri in the same senatorial slate.
Madrigal’s inclusion in the line-up for the Senate race under the banner of the coalition was alleged to be “unacceptable” to one of those drafted as candidates, former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar.
Rep. Villar happens to be the wife of NP president, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., whom Madrigal had accused and had investigated by the upper chamber for allegedly using his position to benefit his real estate business in having the construction of the C-5 road extension project realigned and made to pass through some of his properties to gain a road-right-of-way compensation which the Senate committee on the whole found to be overpriced.
While the former congresswoman has opted to emulate the decision of her husband to “bury the
hatchet” with President Aquino, for whatever mudslinging their respective camps may have committed against each other during the 2010 presidential campaign, by agreeing to have NP enter into a “partnership” of sort with LP, the same cannot be said with regards to Madrigal, highly-reliable sources said.
Rep. Villar is said to fill in one of the three slots being allotted to NP in the LP-led coalition, the others being reelectionist Senators Antonion Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano.
Sources earlier told the Tribune that Madrigal’s entry could only bring about added tension within the coalition still in the works, the first of which was the supposed junking of another purported NP candidate, its party spokesman former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers as well as the issue that some of its members are reportedly not seeing eye-to-eye with some LP members.
Add to this was the matter of Villar being given a tag by the LP of “Villarroyo” during the height of the 2010 presidential campaign, accusing the senator of being an alleged “secret candidate” of the Arroyo administration.
Former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, who was among those who supposedly exploited the use of  “Villaroyo” issue in her failed bid to the Senate during the 2010 campaign period, has allegedly managed to make peace with Rep. Villar, a former colleague in the House of Representatives, sources said.
Hontiveros, sources said, was the one to reach out to Rep. Villar, with the latter to let bygones be bygones.
“She’s willing to accept Hontiveros but not in the case of Madrigal,” sources said.
Another source intimated to the Tribune that the reason behind the LP’s decision to tap Madrigal as one of their senatorial bets was due to the fact that she could be a potential “asset” insofar as providing needed funds to the slate.
Madrigal is seen as financial contributor, sources said, noting that the former senator and defeated presidential rival of Aquino comes from what they called as known “moneyed” clans in the country.
“It has been a practice in the past that each candidate contribute to the ticket and this will be reciprocated with a counterpart fund,” the source, an LP stalwart said.   
It was for this reason, an NP insider alleged, that the LP sought out Villar’s camp.
“Practically everybody in NP knows that kaya naman talaga niligawan ang partido (ng LP) is because of funds,” the NP insider said, adding that the ruling party is not keen on bankrolling the candidacy of the entire senatorial slate.
The LP’s initial list, especially those coming from their own ranks, are alleged to be not considered “winnable” or “bankable” candidates compared to those coming from UNA. Most of those drafted or eyed by LP such as Pimentel, Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Senators Loren Legarda and Francis “Chiz” Escudero are non-LP members.   
It is yet to be known what will come about in the ongoing talks of LP with NP and NPC, supposed to be already in the finishing stages, in the days to come.
Sources said the LP is planning to unleash the partial list of their ticket next week but with the recent developments, the original plan could possibly be put off.
Already assured of slots, are comebacking Sen. Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay Jr. who happens to be an LP member, Angara, Trillanes, Villar and Cayetano.
President Aquino, meanwhile, who has repeatedly portrayed himself as an enemy of political dynasty, seemed to have changed his position as more relatives are seen running for different national and local elective posts in time for the 2013 midterm elections.
Expected to file their certificates of candidacy are four presidential relatives, who’d be seeking a Senate position, gubernatorial post, congressional seat and party-list inclusion seen as ticket to become a member of the House of Representatives.
Replying a Tribune query, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a text message, appears portraying a President who doesn’t seem comfortable with the passage of a legislative bill against political dynasty.
Valte however would not make a categorical position for the President whom she described as “open” but under certain conditions she didn’t elaborate.
“The President has stated in the past that he would like to see how the parameters are fleshed out in the bill as it would be unjust to disqualify a person on a mere basis of a family name”, says Palace mouthpiece in her text message to the Tribune.
Coming from two clans with known to for their long history of political supremacy in Central Luzon, dating back the 1900s, President Aquino is their family’s third politician named Benigno to have carved his name into both legislative and executive offices via politics having been elected first as Congressman representing the district covering the 7,000-hectare Hacienda Luisita.
Before Benigno III was his father Benigno Jr., whom history refers to as the assassinated opposition Senator on August 21, 1981 then under the era of the late strongman and Aquino’s fiercest political foe Ferdinand Marcos.
Interestingly, just a few of the modern day Filipinos are aware that Benigno Sr. was a legislator during the Japanese occupancy. He was in fact not just a district legislator (referred today as congressmen), but the Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly referred to in the modern day as the House of Representatives.
Other than the three direct descendants named Benigno, a namesake also appears making his political debut in time for the 2013 midterm elections. Paulo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, however isn’t coming from the same branch of the family tree, he is a first cousin of the President. A son of the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.’s brother and former Rep. Paul Aquino, Bam’s public announcement on his interest to run for senator under Aquino’s LP created quite a stir for former National Youth Commission chair.
Now running a foundation working closely with the administration, Bam was at one time an entrepreneurial show host.
Simultaneous with Bam’s political debut is her celebrity aunt Kris Aquino, who has long hinted her plans to run for governor of Tarlac Province. The presidential sister, who has long expressed interest to politics, is perceived as the country’s undisputed queen of intrigues having been seen getting into and dismally separating from many relationships with famous personalities, some of whom already married at the time she got herself entangled with.
Also joining the 2013 debutants Bam and Kris is former Tarlac Gov. Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco who is reportedly still undecided whether to run for Vice Governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) or join the partylist fray. She is the wife of former Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.
Other family members seen running for an elective post come May 2013 midterm elections is former Rep. Mark Cojuangco representing a district in Pangasinan province, replacing her wife whom he fielded in his lieu amid laws restricting a 4th term for local officials and congressmen. He is the son of President Aquino’s uncle former Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco. Uncle Danding, who has maintained political influence with his Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC), is currently calling shots for San Miguel Corp. which he largely owns.
Other presidential relatives who have remained into politics, directly or indirectly, include her aunt former Senator Teresita Aquino Oreta and husband former Malabon City Mayor Prospero Oreta, presidential uncle Agapito “Butz” Aquino, former Tarlac Rep. Hermie Aquino.
Other than the Cojuangco-Aquino political dynasty, two thirds of the members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives are part of a political clan in control of the province or locality from where they come from.
Interestingly, political dynasties are seen to have thrived and appear to stay unless some provisions in the 1987 Constitution are re-phrased — specifically, a provision in the Charter which mandated that “the State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law,” is what keeps the flourishing political dynasty afloat.
Proposals have been filed in Congress for an “Anti-Dynasty legislative bill,” but all efforts ended up in vain because of the strong resistance of the majority of the lower house seen as predominantly beefed up by scions of dynasties.
The 2013 election appears headed to become an election where name recall would be a factor. Names being floated as possible LP senatorial bets are second generation politicians enjoying a name recall and an administration party’s political machinery.
The senatorial line up being formed by the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is likewise seen as a team of candidates with familiar surnames. With  Fernan J. Angeles