NPC timetable set for 2004 polls

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has no alliances yet.

The NPC has yet to determine which party it will ally itself with for the 2004 national elections and the deadline for this decision is in November, NPC member and Tarlac Rep. Jesli Lapuz said yesterday.

Speaking at the press forum at Sulo Hotel, Lapuz said the November deadline was set because of the fluid political situation.

Lapuz’s made his statement a day after Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., president of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party, said the alliance between the ruling party and the NPC is a "tried and tested partnership."

De Venecia issued his statement to show confidence that the NPC will not bolt the Sunshine Coalition in the House of Representatives despite efforts by the opposition to form an alliance with the NPC.

"The political situation in the country keeps changing," Lapuz said. "The situation today is different from the situation a few days ago. Many are resigning from Lakas, like Vice President (Teofisto) Guingona and Senator (Loren) Legarda."

He said that the issue of an alliance with other parties was not thoroughly discussed during the recent NPC executive committee caucus.

"The main objective of the party’s caucus was (to discuss) the needed constitutional reforms, if there’s a need to go parliamentary," he said. "As far as (political) alignments are concerned, we are still studying that and we have a November deadline."

Lapuz also dodged questions regarding the political plans of NPC chairman emeritus and business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco. "Only he (Cojuangco) can answer that (question)," he said.

Whether the NP will coalesce with another party and Cojuangco decides to run for president in 2004 or not, one thing is certain, the Tarlac lawmaker said, "NPC is committed to make a difference in the elections."

After the Sandiganbayan lifted the sequestration order on Cojuangco’s 20 percent share in San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Wednesday, speculations circulated that the graft court ruling was colored by politics.

Insinuations of a deal between Malacañang and Cojuangco for political expediency have also been floated around — insinuations vehemently denied by the Palace.

De Venecia sought to trace NPC’s long history of association with Lakas-CMD. "Our partnership, our formal and concrete relationship with NPC began way back in 1992. Because of the NPC, former President Fidel Ramos was able to lead the country effectively, despite having a plurality vote of five percent."

"Because of the NPC, I became Speaker of the House, even if Lakas only had 25 lawmakers then and the opposition’s Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) had 87 congressmen," he added, referring to the Rainbow Coalition.

This partnership continued until 1995 and was suspended during the term of former President Joseph Estrada, who was elected in 1998 but ousted by popular revolt in 2001.

The Rainbow Coalition was revived and renamed the Sunshine Coalition after the Edsa II uprising that catapulted then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into the presidency.