De Lima leads LP party-list nominees

MANILA, Philippines — The once-ruling Liberal Party (LP) is fielding stalwarts, including former senator Leila de Lima, in next year’s party-list elections.

LP’s sectoral wing, the Mamamayang Liberal (ML), will officially join the party-list race with De Lima as its lead nominee.

Former congressmen Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao and Erin Tañada of Quezon, both ranking LP officials, will be the party-list’s second and third nominees, respectively.

De Lima, in an interview with “Storycon” on One News yesterday, said LP’s decision to join the party-list race was a “strategic move,” especially with the expected tight race in the Senate.

“As a sectoral wing of LP, this could be the platform where LP could further broaden its base,” she said.

“We want to project a more dynamic national party. While it is a traditional party, we want it to be more dynamic and more receptive and more cognizant of the present situation, with two powerful blocs fighting it out. That is why, through ML, we can further that,” she added.

The former senator clarified that the party-list, as the sectoral wing of LP, is distinct from the political party.

De Lima said it has members from various sectors, including women, youth, farmers, fisherfolk, workers, indigenous peoples, LGBTQIA+ and the urban poor.

De Lima, who is currently LP’s spokesperson, initially had no plans of running in next year’s polls. She said her colleagues in the LP urged her to reconsider.

“I assessed the situation. The pragmatic in me told me that I should go for party-list instead of senatorial,” said De Lima.

“Through this platform of a party-list, I can pursue further the main advocacy of social justice for all of these sectors, side-by-side with promoting and pursuing the core values of the LP: freedom, democracy, justice, social justice, anti-corruption, transparency, accountability and good participatory governance,” she said. — Cecille Suerte Felipe, Sheila Crisostomo, Rhodina Villanueva