Ex-mayor joining LP to vie for Congress vs Yap

CEBU, Philippines - Former mayor Conchita Toribio Delos Reyes of Carmen town in Bohol had decided to turn her back on the United Nationalist Alliance and tried to inch her way into the Liberal Party, with her plan to run for a congressional seat against 3rd district Representative Arthur Yap in the 2016 elections.

Delos Reyes, who lost to LP stalwart and incumbent Governor Edgar Chatto in 2013, has been hitting the latter lately to the dismay of party leaders in the province, and showing to the social media her recent photo with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the LP standard bearer for the elections next year.

However, the photo of Delos Reyes and Roxas showed no proof of acceptance of her to the LP, but she had been banking on her alliance with former Loboc mayor Leon Calipusan — LP’s losing bet against Yap in the 2013 polls — as her way to the LP stable.

Chatto, for his part, clarified there has been no word from the LP national headquarters about Delos Reyes’ entry to the ruling party. He explained that LP’s rule on political positioning is bottom-up, in which the national leaders give premium to results of consultations with local leaders in endorsing local candidates.

Chatto explained this dynamics for the national and local scenarios, but he refused to answer a hypothetical question on whether he would welcome Delos Reyes if the latter gets an endorsement from the national LP.

So far, Delos Reyes has made no effort yet to approach the top LP local leaders — including Chatto, while the provincial leadership had maintained partnership with Yap, hinting a slim chance for her to enter the administration party to carry her 2016 congressional ambition. (FREEMAN)