MANILA, Philippines – The Nacionalista Party will soon break away from the administration coalition, as the 2016 presidential election nears. 

NP senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos said the party would be formalizing this but stressed it is already the situation “informally.”

“But informally ganun naman talaga dahil nung 2013 hindi naman nasunod ang aming usual party agreement. Marami pa ring NP na kandidato na nilagyan ng kalaban ng LP [Liberal Party] nung 2013,” Marcos told reporters on Monday, September 7.

(But informally, that’s how it is because in 2013 our usual party agreement was not followed. LP still put candidates against NP members in 2013.)

Despite being allies in the national elections in 2013, for example, LP and NP candidates in the province of Cavite were bitter rivals in the local polls.

With all this, the senator said the alliance resembles a “very loose coalition.”

“I think that we are moving farther and farther away from that,” Marcos said.

Marcos to run for higher post

At least 3 NP senators are eyeing a higher post in 2016 – Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Marcos himself.

Marcos admitted his own intention to run either for president or vice president, saying he would announce it once everything is “clear.” 

Vice President Jejomar Binay earlier said he is considering Marcos as his running mate, even as he was a human rights lawyer during the Martial Law regime of Marcos’s father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The senator said he is hoping that the party would choose a single standard-bearer in the elections to show party unity.

“Ang sinasabi ko lang, I hope na makakapag-pili ng standard bearer para sa national ang Nacionalista Party dahil sayang naman kasi kung magiging sona libre syempre yung bawat miyembro mamimili ng kanilang sariling kandidato. Baka magkawatak-watak ang NP. Ayaw natin yun” Marcos said.

(What I’m saying is, I hope the Nacionalista Party would choose a standard-bearer for the national level because everything will be put to waste if it will just be (free zone), if each member will choose his or her own candidate. The NP might fall apart and that’s what we don’t want.)

While NP is not the biggest party, Marcos maintained that the Villar-led NP is the “most cohesive” one in the country. – Rappler.com