Liberal party woes
Today all roads, as far as Liberal rank and file are concerned, lead to a tent in Manila Hotel for a big powwow. The group meets to discuss their next moves since the party was split about support for the Arroyo administration. The Atienza-led group prides itself in being the askals (asong kalye) as a take-off from the Drilon-Roxas led group that call themselves pedigreed “liberals” because most of the big names are with them. Oh, my. I am told that the site of the meeting, a new wing of the Manila Hotel, is big enough to accommodate some 2,000 people but as of yesterday local leaders were in a quandary on what to do with even barangay captains wanting to attend.
The long running battle between the two groups erupted on the issue of whether or not the Liberal Party should support the Arroyo administration when a serious attempt was made to oust her last July 2005. The Drilon-Roxas pedigreed faction wanted her ousted. Although Lito Atienza personally sided with the beleaguered president he claims that since this was a party issue, local leaders as party members should at least have been consulted. But then Senate President Franklin Drilon would not hear of any such consultation with ‘askals’ so the official line taken by the Drilon wing against the Arroyo government was decided by the few privileged big names.
That was how, representing himself as speaking for the Liberal Party, former Senate President Franklin Drilon called on President Arroyo to step down last July 8, 2005. Atienza challenged Drilon’s statement since it did not follow the process for party decision-making. Atienza insisted that if a party position was to be made it should be decided by the LP’s policy-making body, the National Executive Council. This was not done. Indeed not a single meeting was held to discuss the issue before the Drilon group made the party statement asking Mrs. Arroyo to resign. Tsk, tsk. I must say that is strange behavior — not very liberal or democratic if this is true.
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The meeting today is especially significant with reports that the Atienza-led group has filed a case with the Commission on Elections questioning the election of Senator Mar Roxas as president of the LP last November. One of the duties of the Comelec is to oversee political parties. Lawyer Harlin Cast Abayon of the Atienza wing said they filed the case because injustice was done to them when Sen. Mar Roxas was elected president of the Liberal Party last November 26.
According to party sources, Atienza and co. complain that the Supreme Court decision is being misinterpreted by the Drilon-Roxas wing. Contrary to oft-repeated press releases, the Supreme Court decision did not uphold either Drilon or Atienza. What the decision did say was for the party to hold an election as promulgated in the Salonga constitution and it was to hold the election in November. It was a question of dates. That was all. But according to the media hype of the Drilon-Roxas wing Atienza was “deemed resigned because of the Supreme Court decision.” How that came to be is the question. If Atienza was deemed resigned on the eve of election what kind of election would have been held as the Supreme Court instructed if the other side was shut out.
“This is just a repeat of July 2005, when they misrepresented the LP on the issues surrounding the President. And now, when they had the chance to rectify that mistake, they still insist on dictating to the party on what to do regarding its leadership, rather than let the members decide,” Abayon said.
The Atienza Liberals would seek to prevent Roxas from discharging the powers and functions as the newly installed party president and to prevent him from choosing a new set of officers until a proper election was held. For his side, Roxas said he would await a copy of the petition before making any comment. “Be that as it may, the Supreme Court has already ruled with finality on the leadership issue in the LP,” he is quoted to have said.
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Still it is good to hear the presidential candidate Roxas wants a reconciliation between the warring groups, but Atienza liberals say it is just ‘media hype’. Atienza Liberals said the Roxas group continues to misrepresent the party on several issues. “This isn’t about Mar or Atienza, but about what’s right and proper,” said Usec Eli Quinto, one of the longest-serving directors general of the LP and founder of its youth wing, the Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas. Quinto denied the Atienza-led majority faction was invited as equal members of the National Executive Council. During the November election, Atienza loyalists were stopped from questioning the quorum or the process of selecting the new party president. Gov. Sally Zaldivar Perez joined critics of the meeting-election. The Atienza group were treated as “guests” and were told they had no right to question quorum, the critics added.
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First stop is to revisit the Supreme Court decision and whether or not it meant that Atienza was deemed resigned as alleged by the Drilon-Roxas faction. According to some partisans since the Supreme Court upheld Drilon’s presidency “the members of Atienza and his group were deemed resigned from the party.” Not true, says Atienza and Co. All the decision said was to follow the Salonga constitution to hold an election and that this be held in November. But before the election could take place, Atienza and
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Speculations on just who were included in the shortlist made by the panel to assist President Arroyo in her search for a new Comelec chairman get funnier and funnier. It seems more like the list of chairman wannabes. Relax, guys. If this is the behavior of those who have nominees or would like to pressure the President to appoint their “candidates” can you imagine what it would be if she did come out with the shortlist before she has decided on who it will be?
As far as the panel is concerned they were asked by the President to make a shortlist using their own criteria after going over the various recommendations, consultations with former Comelec Chairmen and commissioners, and opening the process to a wide public through advertisements in the major newspapers. That was done and more. The next move is the President’s and it is her prerogative to decide.
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