JDV eyes new coalition for 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. is preparing to break away from the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party to form a new political coalition that will support a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, a reliable source disclosed yesterday.

The source, a leader of a political party, said De Venecia is now conducting one-on-one meetings with leaders of various political parties to discuss plans to form an alliance that will be a major political force in the coming election.

“The former speaker (De Venecia) is in the process of reviving the rainbow coalition minus the Lakas party,” the source said.

The reported alliance came a week after the pro-administration party Bigkis Pinoy launched the so-called “Coalition for the Deserving,” which was supposed to be composed of the Reporma of former defense secretary Renato de Villa, Aksyon Demokratiko of the late Sen. Raul Roco, and the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

But a day after the coalition was launched, Jay Sonza, secretary- general of Aksyon Demokratiko and De Villa of Reporma disowned the coalition, saying that party leaders were not consulted.

Party leaders said that Bigkis Pinoy is raiding other political parties for still unknown reasons without consultation with the other parties.

The source declined to give more details but he hinted that among the possible moves of the former speaker is to revitalize the Christian Democratic Party (CMD), which merged with the Lakas Tao of former President Fidel Ramos during the early 1990s.

De Venecia is the founder of the CMD party, which spearheaded the rainbow coalition that supported the candidacy of Ramos.

Sorsogon Rep. Jose Solis said that Lakas has already foreseen the possible defection of De Venecia from the Lakas-CMD party to form another political alliance.

Solis said if De Venecia bolts from the administration party at least 32 congressmen would join him, which will affect the political setup of the administration party in the House.

It was not known what the composition of the new political alliance of De Venecia would be, but another source indicated that the former speaker is also talking with the Nacionalista Party of former Senate president Manuel Villar.