LP lauds SC decision on fake NP-NPC merger

Dominant minority status to strengthen LP bid to protect vote

The Liberal Party today welcomed the Supreme Court ruling against a decision of the Commission on Elections approving the bogus coalition of the Nacionalista Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NP-NPC) as a positive step towards ensuring clean and honest conduct of the national and local elections on Monday, May 10.

LP General Campaign Manager Florencio “Butch” Abad said the SC’s en banc ruling gives the Liberal Party the upper hand in the contention to secure the Dominant Minority Party status for the May 10 elections so it could access the Comelec central server for the transmitted results of the first-ever automatic elections systems (AES).

Abad said the SC decision levels the political playing field, which got almost tilted in favor of the NP and  its presidential bet Senator Manuel Villar when the Comelec recognized the NP-NPC merger despite objections from the LP. “Now we have an equal playing field. We thank the Supreme Court for correcting the Comelec’s error,” Abad said.

The Supreme Court ruled the April 12 decision of the Comelec was illegal since the alleged coalition agreement between the NP and NPC was supposedly signed after the August 17, 2009 deadline for the submission to the poll body’s for its recognition and registration of any alliance or coalition arrangements among political parties.

The NP’s lawyers submitted the coalition papers to the Comelec only on February 12 this year, which was the deadline for the submission of petitions for accreditation by political parties to participate and field candidates in the May 10 elections, and the accreditation for the dominant minority part status.

The LP had challenged the alleged coalition agreement between the NP and the NPC as a legal and political maneuver by the NP, particularly its presidential candidate Senator Manuel Villar, to deny the LP the right to access the coveted electronic returns for the precinct-level results of the May 10 to ensure no cheating operation could deny the winners their victory..

“The Supreme Court proved what the Liberal Party has been saying right from the start — that this fake coalition was formed only by an evil coalition out to steal the elections from the forces of good,” Abad said.

He added voters could now rest assured that the LP could better protect the votes they will cast in Monday’s election if it gets the dominant minority party status as it is considered the main political group opposed to the incumbent Arroyo Administration and its not-so-secret Villarroyo coalition partners.

But Abad stressed the LP still needs the public to remain vigilant so no other forms of cheating, including a vote-prevention scheme revealed by the Comelec itself the other day, could thwart any evil plot to disrupt and sabotage the elections, Abad stressed.