Joker: LDP alliance with Lakas, NPC soon

Calling it the "dirty game of politics," Sen. Joker Arroyo said yesterday the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) may soon join the alliance between the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and support the candidacy of President Arroyo in next year’s elections.

Arroyo said signs that the LDP is "not far behind" in joining the alliance became more evident after both chambers of Congress refused to recognize the "status quo call" of the Supreme Court (SC).

The Supreme Court, in a status quo order, effectively barred Congress from continuing with the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. pending the resolution of six petitions questioning the constitutionality of the proceedings.

"The announcement that they will transmit it to the Senate despite the status quo call of the SC means that they are forming a political alliance," Arroyo said in a television interview Wednesday night.

"Don’t look at the impeachment. Always look at the alliance. Is it holding firm? It is holding firm. And not only that, when you have now the NPC and the Lakas supporting the President, the LDP is not far behind. So you now have all these three joining in support of the President," he added.

Arroyo said a political union of Lakas, the NPC and the LDP, led by its president Sen. Edgardo Angara, "is in the works."

He explained that what binds the leaders of the three largest political parties in the country is their shared preference for a shift to a unicameral parliamentary form of government via constituent assembly as a means of amending the Constitution.

It has been said that Mrs. Arroyo, once elected, will be the "transition president" to pave the way for Charter change leading to a unicameral parliamentary system, Arroyo said.

"President Arroyo, (Eduardo) Cojuangco, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., and Senator Angara are all for a constituent assembly and for a parliamentary system," he added.

De Venecia said on Wednesday the House of Representatives will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate not later than Nov. 10, when Congress resumes regular session. Davide is charged with corruption and misuse of the judiciary development fund (JDF).

Arroyo earlier claimed that the President and De Venecia, the two top leaders of the ruling Lakas, were part of a conspiracy to oust Davide to ensure the backing of the NPC for the May 2004 polls. He said they did nothing to prevent the impeachment petition from getting the required signatures of one-third of all House members.

"(It was an) act of toleration because this is all the dirty game of politics. The President was part of this because the ultimate objective of this alliance is (getting) the support of NPC to the President (for the May 2004 elections)," he said.

Arroyo has accused Cojuangco, founding chairman of the NPC, of masterminding the second impeachment complaint against Davide, saying it was "political vendetta."

The high tribunal, under Davide’s leadership, has issued adverse rulings on Cojuangco’s business interests. Most of the signatories in the impeachment complaint were congressmen belonging to the NPC, though several signatures were those of Lakas congressmen.

"You can see now the evil of that unicameral parliamentary form of government. Congress now will move in terms of blocs. You will find that these blocs will decide the future of the country, not persons," Arroyo said.

Cojuangco has not made any announcement on his political plans for the 2004 elections.

Arroyo said Cojuangco will no longer run but will instead support Mrs. Arroyo’s presidential bid after having her and De Venecia as allies in the impeachment move against Davide.

Arroyo said Congress should "yield" to the Supreme Court resolution on the impeachment complaint which he defined as not an order but a "call" for the parties involved "to maintain the status quo" while it determines the constitutionality of the proceedings.

"I think in the end, the House of Representatives will come around when they consult with their lawyers. I think they will also yield. Not to say that they will surrender to the Supreme Court but respect the power given to the Supreme Court," he said.

The senator asserted that only the Supreme Court can "interpret the Constitution." — With Jose Rodel Clapano