NP, PDP-Laban coalesce; Villar son gets DPWH

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and the Nacionalista Party (NP) formally forged a coalition yesterday after both supported the candidacy of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the May 9 polls. 

Duterte ran under PDP-Laban, but his runningmate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is a member of NP. 

The incoming president announced last night that he would appoint reelected Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The two parties officially sealed the merger yesterday when an agreement was signed by Villar’s father, former senator Manuel Villar, representing the NP, and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III for PDP-Laban. 

The signing was held when the press conference of Duterte at the Matina Enclave Residence was about to end late yesterday afternoon. 

Both PDP and NP were supposed to be part of the Liberal Party-led coalition for the elections.

Sen. Cynthia Villar and her son Rep. Mark Villar witnessed the signing of the agreement done in front of Duterte.

The two parties actually started the merger in August last year to support the candidacy of Duterte, who said he did not have the logistics and machinery to run a campaign for president.

What to do with Mark Villar’s congressional post is still under discussion, with substitution eyed. Villar was president of Crown Asia and MGS Corporations before he became a congressman.

He is married to DIWA party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay.