Press Release
October 17, 2006

KIKO: ON THE RULING OF THE COMELEC ON THE LP

"I appeal for sobriety from all my fellow party members on the recent ruling of the Comelec on the Liberal Party. The ruling to elect new party leaders has been met with mixed feelings. If there is one thing that the public --our countrymen-- awaits, it is stability in the political situation of the Philippines. Long have we waited for the Comelec to make this decision. I hereby urge my fellow liberals to return to the basic reason why we all decided to join the party. 60 years ago the LP was formed to create and institute reforms. It is but fitting that this decision comes before we end our 60th year anniversary. Our founders sought to represent the aspirations and goals of our countrymen, let's do the same and work towards a win-win solution in this matter.

Sinabi dati ni Senador Tanada, hindi para sa kapakanang makasarili ng iilan ang Partido Liberal kundi higit sa lahat, lagi para sa higit na nakararaming mahihirap at kapuspalad. Let us not allow this impasse to remain as an obstacle to upholding the aims and the platform of the Liberal Party in the next elections. The Liberal Party can release a list of members once again following those that comprised the 60 th anniversary celebration. I urge the NECO to meet and begin to gather our members to break this political impasse at the soonest possible time, we owe this much to our people.

As a course of action of the Liberal Party, I urge my fellow liberals to appeal to the Comelec to reconsider its decision, with all due respect to its chairman and commissioners, we do not need to conduct elections for new leadership in the Liberal Party. The Comelec's non-recognition of a rump party and a rump session validates and vindicates the earlier position of the Liberal Party that Senate President Drilon was not sitting as a hold-over president, he is the duly elected president of the Liberal Party. Senator Drilon should stay on as party president until June of 2007, even after the May 2007 elections and I lend my support to him as a fellow liberal and as the incumbent chairman of the Liberal Party. With this decision, we should all unite and rally behind the leadership of Senator Franklin Drilon in order for the party to achieve its vision of a principled and effective leadership for our nation and our people."

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