MANILA, Philippines – A day after swearing in newly elected party mates in the Liberal Party, President Benigno Aquino III opened the doors of Malacañang Palace on Friday, June 28, to incoming congressmen from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and the National Unity Party (NUP) in a move to carry their electoral alliance over to the 16th Congress.

NPC welcomed the invitation, which NPC spokesperson Rex Gatchalian said was a “natural progression” of the two parties’ coalition in the 2013 midterm elections and mutual support in the 15th Congress.

Rappler records show at least 43 NPC members won in the last polls, a slight drop from 48, the NPC number at the close of the last session. Gatchalian could not say for certain how many were sworn in by President Aquino on Friday. He said 80-90% of newly elected congressmen were in attendance; the rest were out of the country.

The NUP, also an ally of the LP in the last polls, boasted of 24 members who won in the congressional races. The LP has 110 winning members. There will be 292 district representatives in the 16th Congress.

Earlier, LP spokesperson and Marikina Rep Miro Quimbo told Rappler that Aquino’s lead in adminstering NPC and NUP’s oaths shows “that the President recognizes the importance of continuing the alliance hammered during the last polls” in order to ensure the success of his reform agenda.

Gatchalian vowed that the NPC would continue to support the Aquino administration.

“The NPC is consistent with its position that the party will be a partner of the LP and PNoy in fostering the reform agenda of the administration. We will remain a reliable partner of PNoy until his last day in office in 2016,” he told Rappler.

In the last elections, NPC was part of Aquino’s senatorial slate, Team PNoy. But despite Gatchalian’s constant assurances NPC members would support the full coalition, NPC local leaders repeatedly said they were not endorsing the full administration ticket.

The 16th Congress opens on July 22. – Rappler.com