Binay party to join UNA

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said his new political party, which will be launched on June 12 coinciding with the celebration of Independence Day, will join the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) as a coalition for the 2016 presidential elections.

Binay, who cut his ties with Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan due to his differences with its leaders, particularly Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, said it is up to PDP-Laban if it will continue its membership in UNA.

But Binay said many PDP-Laban members have expressed their intention to join his new political party, details of which are still being discussed.

Binay, an original member of PDP-Laban, said he decided to leave the party because he felt that it was becoming “dysfunctional.”

He also cited that PDP-Laban was one of the founders of UNA, yet some of its members, including Pimentel, ran under the administration Liberal Party (LP) in the 2013 elections.

Koko’s father, former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., is an original member of PDP-Laban.

“It is an ugly sight to see that there are PDP-Laban members who are in the majority and minority in the Senate,” Binay said.

“They agreed to merge PDP and Laban during martial law, thus the birth of PDP-Laban as an opposition party. Now, there are many Laban members who want to bolt PDP-Laban,” Binay said.

He added that he has no intention to meet with Pimentel and that there is no need to formalize his resignation as member of PDP-Laban.