During party's 65th anniversary Cebu leaders get LP national posts

CEBU, Philippines - Top leaders of the ruling Liberal Party in Cebu were appointed members of the LP National Directorate, the policy making body of the party during yesterday’s 65th founding anniversary held at the Club Filipino at Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila.

This is also seen as a way to reward the Cebu leaders, who delivered for LP presidential candidate and now President Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ C. Aquino III in the May 2010 elections.

Aquino got an overwhelming majority of the Cebuano votes.

Appointed as members of the national policy making body were Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña, North District Rep. Rachel ‘Cutie’ del Mar, Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, and former Cebu City Councilor Hilario Davide III, who is also the party’s provincial chairman.

The other delegates from Cebu, who went to the anniversary celebration, were Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, PB member Arleigh Jay Sitoy, San Fernando Mayor Antonio Canoy, and former Bogo Mayor and 4th District Rep. Celestino ‘Tining’ Martinez III.

The Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, which is allied with the LP, swept all seats in the Cebu City elections while only Sanchez and Sitoy won in the province.

Davide was the LP bet for governor and lost to Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia.

Sanchez, in a phone interview with The Freeman, said that as members of the policy making body of LP, they are also tasked to be responsible in the strengthening of the party’s membership not only in Cebu but in the Visayas regions as well.

Members of the LP national executive council yesterday reelected former senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as their president.

President Benigno Aquino III was also reelected as party chairman.

Senator Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. were elected as vice chairmen while Cavite Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya was elected secretary general.

The Liberal Party was founded on January 19, 1946 by Manuel Roxas, the first President of the Third Philippine Republic. It was formed by Pres. Roxas from what was once the “Liberal Wing” of the old Nacionalista Party.

Two more Presidents of the Philippines elected into office came from the LP — Elpidio Quirino and Diosdado Macapagal, father of former president and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Two other Presidents came from the ranks of the LP, being former members of the party but joined the Nacionalistas — Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos.

During the days leading to Martial Rule, the LP became a formidable road block for President Marcos in his quest for one-man rule.

Among the LP stalwarts in the late 1960s to the early 1970s were Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga.

The declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972 did not silence the LP and it continued to fight the dictatorship even if many of its leaders and members would be prosecuted and even killed during this time. –/NLQ (FREEMAN)