Press Release
July 28, 2012

Cayetano: LP-NP coalition 'done deal' in principle but will not
affect Senate leadership; minority leader will still remain critical

Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the issue of the Liberal Party - Nacionalista Party - Nationalist People's Coalition (LP-NP-NPC) coalition is a 'done deal' in principle.

"Our party president Senator Villar,the President of the Republic, and the president of the LP have met. They've outlined common points about the coalition," he said.

He explained that the finer points of the coalition are still being discussed citing the local party members as an example.

"There is an arbitration committee being worked out on wherein they will discuss areas that can have common candidates or where it can be considered as zona libre or whatever arrangement would be acceptable to the three parties," he said.

However, the senator gave his assurance that he will continue to serve as the Senate Minority Leader, remaining critical yet constructive in the process.

"I will continue to serve as the minority leader. Even if I wasn't minority leader anyway, I would still be critical yet friendly because I believe in what the President is doing. But I think it is helpful if there will be someone who will tell him what can be improved from good to better," he said.

The minority leader also dismissed claims that this new coalition could lead to a shakeup in the Senate leadership.

"Any single moment, change can happen. But what I'm saying is, the coalition will not be the one to cause or trigger this because there have been no talks of that whatsoever. To my knowledge, the Senate President enjoys the confidence of a vast majority of senators so the coalition shouldn't affect that," he said.

Cayetano supported his statement by noting that the actions of NP and LP senators must not be tied to their decision to coalesce for the 2013 elections since some of the LP senators also have existing ties with senators who are members of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Cayetano is set to deliver the traditional Contra-SONA speech of the Minority Leader at the Senate session hall on Monday.

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