Cayetano: In a multi-party system, opposition bloc
cannot be tagged as pro-GMA

Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged the Aquino administration to respect the country's multi-party system and refrain from labeling any and all in the opposition as pro-Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA).

He explained that the pro-GMA faction only represents one opposition group out of the many that form the opposition bloc.

"In a multi-party system, that's not accurate. GMA is one opposition group. Many anti-GMA politicians also belong to the opposition," he said.

The senator pointed out that using the logic "Kapag oposisyon ka, kay GMA ka. Kapag administrasyon ka, Noynoy ka." only exacerbates existing political conflicts in the country.

"If you look at the news, first it was only the Liberal Party (LP) and the Partidong Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) that spoke out against each other. Now even some allegedly part of the GMA group is saying that many pro-GMA politicians are now serving under the Aquino administration," he said.

The minority leader noted that many former party-mates of GMA are, indeed, holding administration positions today, but they have become anti-GMA as well.

"This is how politics works in our country. But if the President wants this to change, we will engage him in that," he said.

But Cayetano emphasized that the administration cannot hope to achieve change in this regard if he continues to lump all opposition parties into a pro-GMA bloc.