President Benigno Aquino III witnessed the mass oath taking of 230 new Negrense Liberal Party members Saturday afternoon at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, making the LP that was almost non-existent in Negros Occidental in the past, the second biggest political party in the province.

Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas, who administered the oath as LP president, said the new LP members must be true believers in the party’s platform that upholds freedom, fights corruption, respects the democratic rule and takes responsibility for the nation’s future.

Members of the LP must be exemplars of the President’s “matuwid na daan (straight path”) of government and put the needs of the people as their bosses first, and not their personal political interest, Roxas said.

Roxas also made a pitch for LP 2013 senatorial bets Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III and Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, whom he jokingly referred to as the party’s “aswang” from Capiz.

They are strengthening the LP in preparation for the 2013 elections, Tañada said.

Tañada said that while the LP has no definite senatorial line up yet, potential candidates are Senators Francis Escudero, Koko Pimentel, AntonioTrillanes and Allan Peter Cayetano, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, Danny Lim, Hontiveros-Baraquel, Justice Secretary Lila de Lima, TESDA head Joel Villanueva, Rep. Sonny Angara and himself.
These are just names being floated around, the final decision will be made by the party at the end of June or first week of July, he said.
Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) , LP Negros Occidental chairman and the fourth richest man in the House, said the influx of new LP members, mostly from the once ruling Lakas CMD, makes the LP the second strongest party in Negros Occidental next to the Nationalist People's Coalition headed by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.
Marañon, who was at the LP mass oath taking, said he does not see the reemergence of the LP as a threat to the NPC since they have an existing alliance.

Benitez said the strengthening of the LP in Negros is part of a nationwide effort to rebuild the party.

The 140 elected officials, of the 230 who joined the LP Saturday, included Board Member Pedro Zayco, 12 mayors 13 vice mayors and 114 councilors.
The 12 mayors who joined the LP are: Araceli Somosa – Calatrava, Marxlen de la Cruz – Don Salvador Benedicto (first district); Leo Rafael Cueva – Sagay City, Patrick Escalante – Cadiz City and Ma. Lourdes Socorro Escalante – Manapla (second district); Eric Saratan – Talisay City and Jose Montelibano – Silay City (third district); Francisco Nazareno - Moises Padilla, Francisco Malabor – Isabela, Alejandro Mirasol – Binalbagan and Alberto Nicor Jr. – La Castellana (fifth district); and Jechonias Manzano – Candoni (sixth district).

The 13 vice mayors are Santiago Maravillas - Escalante City (first district), Kent Javelosa – Sagay City, Samson Mirhan – Cadiz City, Edgar Pagayunan – Manapla (first district), Niel Lizares – Talisay City (third district), Abner Jardinico – San Enrique, Jose Nadie Arceo – Hinigaran, Felix Feria – La Castellana, Cipriano Remo - Moises Padilla, Omar Gayares – Isabela, Emmanuel Aranda - Binalbagan (fifth district), Ma. Gina Lizares – Sipalay City and Janet Cubid – Hinobaan (sixth district).

Also with the president at the LP affair Saturday were Senator Franklin Drilon – LP vice chairman, Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo – LP executive vice president and Government Service Insurance System chairman Daniel Lacson Jr.

Lacson said he is not a member of the LP, and he is retired from politics but was at the affair to support the president’s party.

“Now that the country is taking off, you need to strengthen institutions that will sustain its continued development. The president needs lawmakers and public officials behind him to sustain the policies of his administration,” Lacson said.

The president described Lacson as “my manong Bitay who is always present, who’s our source of strength”, while Roxas said he was like a father to them. *CPG

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