MANILA, 3 March 2006 — Continuing her offensive against her political foes, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday had the national leadership of the Liberal Party kicked out and replaced with her allies.

Senate President Franklin Drilon and other LP officials were booted out in what they called a “rump convention” called by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor at the Manila Hotel.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya was elected vice chairman of the party and Arroyo’s chief legal counsel, Eduardo Antonio Nachura, was named secretary-general.

After the election, President Arroyo dropped by at the Manila Hotel and swore them in as officials of the country’s second biggest political party.

Radio and TV reports said Atienza then read a resolution of those present saying, “The Liberal Party hereby declares its support for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”

Arroyo, speaking in Filipino, told the gathering: “Our partnership and our alliance will continue, which will be good for the country. Once again Liberals, thank you very much for your support.”

Caught Off Balance

Drilon and other LP leaders were caught off-balance in Arroyo’s latest offensive since she declared a “State of National Emergency” last week.

But Drilon said the party will not allow such an “illegal” act to go unchallenged.

“It is a rump convention, a big farce, and an apparent effort by Malacañang (Palace) to drum up political support for a beleaguered President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” Drilon said in a statement distributed to media.

He said the party’s lawyers will dispute the “misrepresentation” before the Commission on Elections.

According to Drilon, the party’s constitution and by-laws allows only the party president, or his duly designated representative, to call for a national party convention or convene the party’s National Executive Council (NECO).

“It is beyond the authority of Mayor Atienza to call a national convention or convene the NECO as his functions as party chairman are merely ceremonial,” said Drilon in an interview with radio station DZMM.

Bad Faith

Drilon also accused Atienza of deceiving party members by inviting them to a roundtable discussion on “New and Emerging Trends and Best Practices in Local Governance,” only to declare all party seats vacant and call for an election.

Nachura and Defensor claimed that the party members who were gathered yesterday constituted the great majority of the LP.

Defensor said more than 500 members at the LP national assembly voted for the change in leadership.

“All the congressmen are here, the mayors, the municipal leaders. We are way beyond the quorum. This is the first time that we have gathered most of the party leaders and party members,” he told reporters.

But Drilon said only 32 of the 103 official NECO members were present during the rump convention. Of the 500 individuals who attended, 90 percent were Manila village officials, he said.

Drilon appealed to President Arroyo to stop “this wanton destruction of established political institutions in the country in the name of her political survival.”

He said the “party coup” was meant to punish LP leaders who have called for President Arroyo’s resignation last year.

Breakaway Group

Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II denounced the raid on the Liberal Party “incredible.”

“The intrusion by the administration into the Liberal Party is sad, incredible; they wish to crush the party with a rump session,” said the senator, grandson of President Manuel A. Roxas, who founded the Liberal Party in 1946.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, LP vice chairman, said he did not recognize the legality of the election of the new party officers.

“This is a very painful development for the party. It is most unfortunate that some party leaders decided to act as agents of Malacañang in its relentless effort to survive the ongoing political crisis,” he told the Inquirer.

“It’s irregular. It’s against the party’s by-laws and constitution. This is pure and simple power grab,” Bukidnon Rep. Nerius Acosta, the party’s executive vice chairman of the party, said in a telephone interview.

“Almost all of the officers were not there including me, Congressman Aquino and Senators (Francis) Pangilinan and Mar Roxas,” Acosta said.

He was referring to Tarlac Rep. Benigno Aquino III, LP secretary-general. Pangilinan is LP’s vice chairman.

“We still declare ourselves as legitimate members of the LP. They are the breakaway group,” he said, referring to Atienza’s group. (With input from Inquirer News Service)