Binay to form new political party

Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday said he is cutting ties with the Partido Demokratiko ng PilipinasLaban (PDP-Laban), now headed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, after the two openly expressed disagreement on various issues.

In a television interview, the Vice President said he will launch a new political party that is expected to carry him as its presidential standard-bearer in the May 2016 elections.

The new political party will be introduced on June 12, Independence Day.

“While I do not like to have a split, we have to accept the realities. There are many instances, the leaders in particular, where we are divided in our affiliations during the time of elections. What happened in 2010, the agreement to join the coalition did not happen,” said Binay. In the 2013 midterm elections, Binay’s daughter Nancy won as senator under the opposition ticket while Pimentel was with the administration-backed Team PNoy because his political nemesis, former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, was included in the senatorial slate of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

UNA is a coalition between PDP-Laban and former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

“So as not to make things worse, our lack of unity inside the party, we need to consider that it is time to move on,” the Vice President said. Joining him in the new party are his children, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, Makati Representative Abigail Binay and Senator Binay.

He also mentioned Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao, Cebu Representative Gwendolyn Garcia, Parañaque Representative Gus Tambunting and Makati Representative Monique Lagdameo.