A day after his media bureau chief hinted of a formidable senatorial line-up that was close to being complete, President Aquino issued a statement confirming a 2013 senatorial team of coalition bets from three major political parties.
President Aquino’s Liberal Party (LP) described its coalition with Sen. Manny Villar’s Nacionalista Party and former Ambassador Danding Cojuangco’s National People’s Coalition as working on common parameters drawn up by party heads, even as he claimed that their 2013 senatorial ticket was already “done to a large degree.”
While the Malacañang chief executive claimed the coalition as a done deal and the 2013 senate line-up as done to a large degree, he admitted that the local level candidates might not be as consolidated as the coalition’s political parties are in the national level.
He added that they are continuously trying to resolve conflicts at the lower level.
“The conflicts in a coalition arise when you reach the lower levels, especially at the level of local government units. Inevitably, there will be areas where we cannot come to an agreement (and field a common candidate). But the goal is to have as unified a ticket as possible (down) to every (elective rank) in the government,” Aquino added.
Budget Secretary Butch Abad earlier noted a major consideration for the coalition was LP’s inability to field a full slate.
“We concede that we cannot fill up a full slate. Given that reality, it is natural for any political party to try to put together a coalition with other political parties or individuals with like minds,” Abad said.
“It is important to build a broad coalition that has good chance of succeeding in 2013 and on to 2016,” he added.