Danding: LP tie-up support for Noy

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is not coalescing with the Liberal Party (LP), but is in a partnership agreement with the ruling party in support of President Aquino.

This was stressed by Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., founder and chairman emeritus of NPC, during a press conference held at the L’Fisher Hotel here Friday.

“We are not coalescing with any party. We are cooperating with the President,” Cojuangco, who founded NPC in 1992, said.

“We have an agreement with the President. We worked for him to get elected and I said there is no reason why we should not be with him until the end of his term,” Cojuangco, who is the uncle of the President, said.

Tarlac Rep. Henry Cojuangco clarified that there is no coalition between LP and NPC, but only a partnership agreement.

“We would like to clarify that this is not a coalition but a partnership agreement in support of the 16-point agenda of the President,” he said.

He said they expect to sign the partnership agreement next week or before the filing of certificates of candidacy on Oct. 1 to 5.

Meanwhile, NPC spokesman and Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian earlier had said the NPC is sticking with its coalition with LP for the 2013 elections.

Gatchalian denied the statement of Sen. Vicente Sotto III that their party was on the verge of scuttling its alliance with LP over disagreement on the “equity of the incumbent” issue.

Cojuangco said the NPC is committed to support the common candidates of LP and NPC.

He founded the United Negros Alliance (UNA), which is a local umbrella organization of various national political parties.

Cojuangco, who is considered a “political kingmaker” in Negros Occidental, laughed off the title. “I’ve never created any king (in Negros) that I know of, more so in the Philippines,”he said.

Cojuangco also witnessed the induction of some 200 new NPC members in Bacolod yesterday.

Cojuangco and the other NPC leaders endorsed incumbent Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez Jr. as the party’s official gubernatorial candidate in 2013 and former San Carlos City mayor Eugenio Jose Lacson as vice governor.