Angara: Butz can’t sign nominations of LDP bets

It was the turn yesterday of the group of embattled Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) president Sen. Edgardo Angara to ask the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ignore the party’s secretary general "on forced leave," Rep. Agapito Aquino of Makati.

In an "urgent manifestation," the LDP-Angara camp said it is only Angara or anyone he authorizes in writing who can sign nominations in behalf of the party.

Reached for comment, Aquino said: "How can that be? He has been suspended by a three-man committee that is investigating him for acts of disloyalty to the party."

In any case, Aquino, who has informed the Comelec that with Angara’s "suspension" it is only he who can sign LDP nominations, said it would be up to the poll body to resolve the conflict between the two quarreling factions.

Besides writing the Comelec, the Angara group also presented the LDP national executive council to the media in a news conference in which council members rallied behind their beleaguered chairman-president. Angara, who heads the council, did not attend the media presentation.

"We stand solidly behind Senator Angara’s leadership and express our unequivocal support for the nomination of Fernando Poe Jr. as the standard-bearer of KNP (Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino)," said former Negros Oriental congressman Miguel Romero, who speaks for Angara and the LDP.

"We also ratify the actions — past, present and future — of our beloved chairman," said Romero, who sits in the executive council.

In its manifestation to the Comelec, the Angara group repeated the information it has given the poll body that Aquino has been placed on force leave and Enrique Zaldivar has been named in his place.

"For the past several days, Representative Aquino has been claiming that he will sign in his capacity as secretary general of the LDP the certificate of nomination of who to him is the official candidate of the LDP for president.

"The LDP reiterates the notices previously given that Representative Aquino is on indefinite forced leave as secretary- general of the LDP. Representative Aquino no longer has any authority to exercise the powers and functions of the secretary general of the LDP," it said.

It asked the Comelec to disregard all nominations signed by the Makati congressman.

Aquino, however, said he would sign nominations, including that of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the only LDP member running for president.

Asked whether Lacson can carry the name of the party he belongs to, Romero said "he can run as LDP-independent but not as a party-nominated candidate."

He said LDP members supporting Lacson cannot also run as party candidates and would have to consider themselves as independents.

For his part, Sen. Vicente Sotto III, LDP executive vice president, said he and his colleagues are not planning any punitive action against Lacson and his other supporters.

"There is no complaint. I don’t think that is being considered at the moment," he said.

Romero and Sotto protested references to the LDP being split.

"There is no split. As you can see, this is the national executive committee, or at least 90 percent of it. Fifteen of the 16 regional chairmen are here. The only one missing is Rep. Celso Lobregat," said Romero.

Lobregat is regional chairman for Western Mindanao. He is one of several LDP congressmen supporting Lacson’s presidential candidacy.

Provincial and municipal LDP chairmen also attended the press conference. Executive council members later signed a resolution rallying behind their party chairman.

They said they "stand by the actions taken by Chairman Angara to preserve and protect the integrity, credibility, unity, and solidarity of the LDP. Together with our chairman, we will not tolerate any action that seeks to divide and sow chaos within our party."

Before the Aquino faction suspended Angara, the Comelec ordered the two LDP groups to settle their quarrel. It also directed the biggest opposition party to maintain a "status quo."

The poll body issued the twin directives in the presence of Aquino and other Lacson supporters, and representatives of the Angara camp.

However, the LDP secretary general "on forced leave" said their "suspended" president refused to abide by the Comelec orders and even scolded his representatives for not protesting the directives.