LDP wings forge ceasefire

The two warring factions of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) agreed yesterday to a "ceasefire" and to consolidate their local and senatorial lineups to pave the way for the full reunification of the party, Makati Rep. Agapito "Butz" Aquino said.

Following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting that began at 12:30 p.m. at the New World Hotel in Makati City, both factions agreed to work to reunify the opposition even after the official campaign period begins next month, Aquino, LDP secretary general, said.

"It (meeting) was very fruitful. We’re all in high spirits and we agreed to a ceasefire," Aquino told The STAR. "We agreed that we have a common foe and that we have to direct all our firepower at the common enemy."

The rift between LDP leaders stemmed from the party’s failure to field a single presidential candidate in the May 10 elections. One faction, headed by LDP chairman Sen. Edgardo Angara, supports actor Fernando Poe Jr. while another group, led by Aquino, is backing Sen. Panfilo Lacson as the LDP’s standard-bearer.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ruled that both Poe and Lacson are official candidates of the LDP.

Informal talks to settle the internal dispure started on Wednesday as the warring LDP leaders attended the necrological service for Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat.

This was followed by yesterday’s meeting in which both groups agreed to start the reunification of the party’s candidates at the local level.

Representing the group of Lacson in the meeting were Aquino, House Deputy Minority Leader Rolex Suplico of Iloilo and Armand Padilla while Poe’s camp was represented by LDP deputy secretary general Enrique Zaldivar and lawyer Demaree Raval and Frank Abalos.

Aquino disclosed that one of the agreements reached during the meeting was that in areas where only one candidate is being fielded by either faction, the candidate will be automatically declared official LDP bet.

In areas where the two factions have different candidates, both sides will work out an arrangement for supporting only one candidate.

In the gubernatorial race for Ilocos Sur, for instance, Lacson’s camp prevailed, with Angara’s wing pledging to support the candidacy of Rafael Rafanan, LDP provincial chairman.

Aquino said that since Lacson does not have a running mate yet, he has no objection to Sen. Loren Legarda as vice presidential candidate of the opposition.

The same rule applies to their respective senatorial bets.

Aquino said Poe’s camp already accommodated two of Lacson’s closest allies — House minority leader Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya and former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

"We have no objections to them at the moment," he said. "When the body is one, it may be easy to unite the two heads."

He said Lacson and Poe are communicating with each and a possible one-on-one meeting might take place without any of their respective advisers.

Lacson and Poe stopped talking with each other at the height of the dispute between the two camps.

Aquino also said that the talks will continue even after the campaign period starts. "Many things can happen in one month," he said.