A senior member of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) on Saturday denied reported claims that the ruling party is heading for a breakup because of opposing views on the party’s presidential standard-bearer in the 2016 elections.
LP Rep. Jerry Treñas of Iloilo, chairman of the LP’s organizing and membership committee, said the LP, which is headed by President Aquino, maintains openness on all possible scenarios to make sure that it remains the party in power after 2016.
Treñas said the talks of a possible Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Sen. Grace Poe, or a Poe-Roxas, tandem in 2016 are all speculations at this time. He said the LP’s main concern at this point is not on who should be carrying the LP banner but who among the candidates has the qualities and the commitment to pursue the programs and reforms that were started by President Aquino.
“LP is a platform-centered party. LP will not endorse any candidate just because he or she is popular. Our objective is not just to win an election but to ensure that our ideals and our vision for the country is vigorously pursued just like what President Aquino has been doing for the past five years,” Trenas said.
“We will definitely support a candidate who would ensure continuity on the reforms and programs that were put into place by President Aquino. We need at least two more terms so that the nation can fully benefit from the fruits of reforms that were carried out by this administration,” Treñas said.
Treñas added that although some LP members are supporting Poe as LP’s possible standard-bearer, a majority of the party members are rooting for Roxas because he his a true-blue LP member.
He, however, said that this disagreement among party members as to who should be supported by LP in the 2016 presidential polls is not enough to cause a party split-up because the party has a well-placed process in selecting its candidates.
“We can disagree but at the end of the day, we will decide as one party and embrace the decision of the majority,” Treñas said. He said that President Aquino will definitely have an influence as to who will be supported by LP but even his decision will have to be approved by the LP members.