COALITION. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte visits Davao City on Tuesday to meet with President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. He said at the moment they are talking for a possible coalition with Duterte’s party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP Laban) (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY— A stalwart of the Liberal Party in Congress is seeking a possible coalition with the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. visited Davao City on Tuesday, June 7 to talk about a possible coalition between some of the members of LP and the party of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Belmonte, LP vice-chair said that as of now, both parties are still in the process of talks and that they are still not sure what will happen next.
Belmonte was in Davao City to meet with Duterte and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who is possibly the next House Speaker.
He said that outgoing President Benigno Aquino III would not intervene if other LP members decide to join the coalition with PDP-laban.
Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez also said that if all the LP members will transfer to PDP-Laban then there will be no more need for a coalition agreement.
For the LP members who plan to transfer to PDP-Laban, Alvarez said that they will still talk about it and if there will be LP members who will transfer then “they still have to take an oath.”
Meanwhile, Belmonte maintained that there would still be an opposition in the House of Congress even with the formation of a coalition.
Asked if Vice President-elect Leni Robredo knew about this coalition, Belmonte said that he assumes that Robredo is aware on the said coalition.
“I assume that Robredo knows about this, I haven’t heard any objection from her,” Belmonte said.
Along with the coalition agenda, Alvarez and Belmonte will also talk with Duterte about federalism, restoring death penalty and amending the juvenile justice law.(davaotoday.com)
