The administration-led alliance with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and Nacionalista Party (NP) will be a futile exercise if it will merely be a vehicle to ensure the reelection of certain politicians and not redound to the implementation of effective programs and policies of the Aquino administra-tion in its remaining three years.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, an NP stalwart, made the statement yesterday following reports on colleague, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, accepting the offer of the Liberal Party (LP) to be part of its senatorial ticket under the banner of the coalition as guest candidate.
Pimentel is currently the president of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) which formed the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) with the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former President Joseph Estrada.
The inclusion of Pimentel’s known political nemesis, former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri in the UNA senatorial slate, prompted the latter to seek alliance with other political parties in pursuing his reelection in the upper chamber.
“That does not pose as a problem to us (in the coalition) because he’s (considered an) asset. But in any coalition that is being formed, there will always be a challenge.
“We believe that it’s a good partnership (among NP, NPC and LP), but we really have to sit down and plot the next three years in terms of programs and policy because if (the alliance) will only be (used as a) vehicle (to ensure the reelection) or have elected the politicians (running under its banner), without having to clarify its programs, how it will benefit the public? T hen it will serve no purpose,” he said.
Still, Cayetano is hoping that the three parties will manage to come up with a consensus insofar as plans for the next three years is concerned.
Sen. Ralph Recto, a member of the administration party, said Pimentel is a welcome addition to their ranks in the emerging coalition.
“I welcome that. He’s a great asset to the LP. I look forward to working with him in the Senate again as I’m working with him today in the Senate,” he added.
“I have accepted the President’s invitation to join and be part of his senatorial ticket in 2013,” Pimentel, for his part, yesterday said.