Villar urges JDV, Lakas allies to join Nacionalista Party

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. has urged Lakas Party allies and Speaker Jose de Venecia to join forces with the Nacionalista Party that he heads, in case the rift between officials of President Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) and Lakas parties would continue to escalate.

Villar said smaller political parties are benefiting from the “rift” between Lakas and Kampi members.

The rift started in Kampi’s fielding of its own congressional candidates in last May’s mid-term elections, further worsened by the expose of the Speaker’s son and namesake, Jose de Venecia III on the national broadband deal and most recently, by the bribery accusations against Malacañang.

Villar, who arrived last week from abroad, said Lakas is experiencing some challenges these days.

The Senate President, however, believes that the party will not be dissolved.

Asked for his political standpoint on the issue, Villar sees a possibility that De Venecia’s Lakas Party, which has former Fidel Ramos as titular head, will be politically divided as the run-up in the 2010 presidential elections nears.

“It will weaken because it will be divided at some point, but it won’t be dissolved. There will be a loyalty check, if a congressman is for Kampi or Lakas,” Villar said.

He also said he was unsure whether the Lakas-Kampi rift was a political or personality clash.

Although there is an ongoing fight between Lakas and Kampi, Villar said congressmen will remain united for President Arroyo who seems to be at the top of the situation despite being hit left and right with bribery and corruption charges.

“For so long as the President is perceived to be strong, majority of the congressmen would stand by her. If she is perceived weak, then that’s the time the lawmakers would turn their back on her,” he added.

Meanwhile, Villar said the Senate will tackle a resolution filed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson calling for an investigation into the reported handing out of P200,000 to P500,000 in cash to some local officials and congressmen about two weeks ago at the height of calls to impeach Speaker de Venecia.

As head of the Senate, Villar said it is the duty of the senators to determine the circumstances surrounding the act.

Due to inter-chamber courtesy, Villar said the Senate will not likely invite fellow lawmakers from the lower house. 

Local officials like Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, who exposed the incident, may be asked to shed light during the Senate inquiry, according to Villar.