Lakas to NPC: Don’t rock House boat

The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats appealed yesterday to leaders of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) not to disrupt the so-called "Sunshine Coalition" in the House of Representatives to allow them to pursue a common legislative agenda in the next 10 months.

Lakas-CMD national spokesman Heherson Alvarez said NPC leaders such as party president Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and chairman emeritus Ernesto Maceda should leave it to House members to decide whether Lakas-CMD and the NPC should remain under the People Power Coalition "at least in the next 10 months before the May 2004 elections."

Alvarez said Congress will have to tackle very important pieces of legislation, including amendments to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law to allow compensation for human rights victims during martial law, when it resumes session next Monday.

Alvarez was reacting to the statement of Maceda that the NPC, the second-largest political group in the House, was no longer keen on coalescing with the ruling Lakas-CMD.

Maceda had previously said that Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. has conveyed to him his intentions to form an alliance with the NPC on a national level especially since the presidential elections are just 10 months away.

But Maceda said the NPC is "not receptive" to the idea.

"The NPC-Lakas coalition no longer exists. They will face each other in 2004," he said.

Sources said a breakup of the Lakas-CMD and the NPC would result in a change of leadership in the House. Independent Sen. John Henry Osmeña said De Venecia’s hold on the House leadership largely depends on NPC’s support.

Maceda’s remarks came after the Sandiganbayan declared that the money used to acquire the United Coconut Planters Bank belongs to the people. Cojuangco, who is also chairman of the food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp., is claiming 20-percent ownership of the bank.

Maceda believes the ruling was politically motivated because of Cojuangco’s intention to run for president next May.

Alvarez acknowledged that the coconut levy issue had affected the relationship between Lakas-CMD and the NPC. The NPC, he said, has accused the administration of having a hand in the Sandiganbayan ruling.

"The coalition of the two parties should be based on good governance and not on this coconut levy issue, because this one is a question of judicial proceeding," he said.

"The Lakas-CMD-NPC coalition is primarily centered in the House of Representatives. Is it there where the coalition is well pronounced, where they can help each other pursue a common legislative agenda," Alvarez said.

"We should leave it to the House members to decide if they will keep the Lakas-CMD-NPC coalition. Ten months is still a long time for Congress to pursue coalition legislation," he said.

Alvarez said Maceda should leave the House of Representatives alone. "Maceda is already talking politics. We are talking about pursuing a common legislative agenda for the good of the country. We can talk politics later," he said.