Liberal Party vows to grow stronger
Faced with mass defections and continued assault from the administration, the opposition Liberal Party (LP) says it will not go away and will even grow stronger.
During the celebration of the LP’s 72nd founding anniversary on Friday, party president Sen. Francis Pangilinan said more like-minded people are joining the party even in the face of strong challenges under the present administration.
Pangilinan said hundreds of new members took their oaths in different parts of the country to mark the anniversary, which also saw the launching of the party’s online recruitment program.
‘While some of our members are leaving the party, it is not true that the party will disappear. Our party will grow stronger because you are joining us,” Pangilinan said in his speech before party members.
“We in the Liberal Party, we have been through hell and back. And we in the Liberal Party, to borrow and paraphrase the words of the poet Dylan Thomas: ‘We will not go quietly into this dark night’,” he added.
Cognizant of the vicious cycle in Philippine politics where politicians jump ship whenever a new administration takes over and a new ruling party emerges, Pangilinan emphasized the need to strengthen the party, including its rules on membership.
The LP saw the biggest number of members jumping over to the PDP-Laban of President Duterte, leaving the party severely depleted.
Pangilinan said he is inclined to prohibit former members from returning to the party in the future when the current administration’s term ends and the LP regains its former glory.
“I am asked if those who left would be allowed back later. If it were up to me, I won’t allow those who left to come back,” Pangilinan said.
Vice President Leni Robredo, chair of the LP, told members to remain strong and continue fighting for what is right.
“Many ask us if there is still hope, where we are headed. Darkness envelopes us. But we should not lose hope. Our party history is about fighting,” Robredo said.
“Usually, who stands up to fight for their beliefs? Liberals. In the end, what is right always wins. But what is right will only prevail if we don’t stop fighting for it,” she added.
Robredo led the mass oathtaking of the new members of LP in Quezon City on Friday.
“In time when people are smearing the image of the party, you had the courage to join us,” she told the new members in Filipino.
Robredo said this is not the first time that the LP lost its members in favor of the ruling party.
“During the Marcos dictatorship, only a few remained with the Liberal Party. It seems that history is repeating itself. But we should not look at the numbers. What we should look at is the strength of our beliefs, of how we fight for our beliefs,” she said.