Lakas-NPC coalition not working in Tarlac

TARLAC CITY — The alliance between the administration party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) appears headed for a collapse in this province.

This, as local allies of President Arroyo have decided to challenge NPC candidates in next year’s elections.

Ex-officio board member Isaias Apostol, Lakas-CMD’s provincial chairman and president of the Philippine Councilors’ League-Tarlac chapter, said that as far as they are concerned, the supposed Lakas-NPC coalition "does not exist" in the province.

But Gov. Jose Yap, who heads the NPC’s Tarlac chapter, earlier announced in behalf of the party’s local leadership that they were abiding by the coalition agreement their national leaders had forged with the Lakas-CMD.

The pact called for the endorsement by both Lakas-CMD and the NPC of Mrs. Arroyo’s presidential bid in the May elections.

In a phone interview, Apostol disclosed that last Dec. 20, just three days after Lakas-CMD and NPC leaders signed the coalition agreement, he was given a certificate of nomination to challenge Yap’s re-election bid.

Apostol’s nomination was signed by former Justice Secretary Hernani Perez and presidential liaison for political affairs Joey Rufino, Lakas-CMD’s secretary general and executive director, respectively.

The Lakas-CMD national leadership gave Apostol the authority to put up a full slate against NPC candidates in the province.