Reporma party not part of 2010 Coalition - De Villa

A newly formed political coalition headed by the Bigkis Pinoy party of Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chairman Efraim Genuino is now in disarray after leaders of two parties in the alliance disowned the new group.

Former defense secretary Renato de Villa, chairman of Reporma, denied that his party joined the coalition that is supposed to screen and support a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections.

De Villa issued a statement denying that his party had joined three other political parties in forming the so-called Coalition of the Deserving.

The new political coalition was supposed to be composed of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) that was founded by former President Ferdinand Marcos, De Villa’s Reporma, Aksyon Demokratiko of the late former Sen. Raul Roco and Genuino’s Bigkis Pinoy.

“Yes, Reporma was invited to join that group, but we have not accepted the invitation. (Former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman) Perfecto Yasay was not telling the truth when he claimed that Reporma had joined their group,” said De Villa.

He was reacting to the statement of coalition spokesman former SEC chief Yasay who ran and lost in the last senatorial elections as a candidate of Aksyon Demokratiko.

Jay Sonza, Aksyon Demokratiko secretary-general, said Bigkis Pinoy only consulted four Aksyon officials about joining the Coalition of the Deserving.

“The alliance was not approved by our party. Regional and provincial party officials are now calling me asking about the status of Aksyon Demokratiko,” he said.

Yasay said the leadership of Aksyon has already resolved the issue raised by Sonza and that party members of the alliance have agreed to settle internal issues among themselves.

But Sonza said with the denial of De Villa, the Coalition of the Deserving has practically collapsed, leaving only the KBL and Bigkis Pinoy.

Yasay downplayed the denial and claimed that De Villa was not involved in the negotiations that led to Reporma’s entry into the coalition.