MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he National Unity Party composed of allies of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo merely formalized their support for President Aquino and the leadership of the House of Representatives as they had been supportive of the government鈥檚 reform agenda, Iloilo Representative 聽Niel Tupas Jr. said Saturday.
Tupas, a member of the President鈥檚 Liberal Party, said the National Unity Party had been voting with the House majority on many issues, including the impeachment of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, the postponement of the August 2011 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and other administration bills.
鈥淎s far as the Liberal Party is concerned, this is a welcome development in the sense that a big bloc of NUP has been supportive of the President鈥檚 (legislative) agenda,鈥� Tupas said trold the Inquirer. 鈥淭hey are not joining the Liberal Party but the majority coalition in the House of Representatives.鈥�
He said the LP itself has a tedious selection process in accepting new members.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they are joining the coalition for convenience,鈥� Tupas said when asked if he believed this was NUP鈥檚 motive in supporting the present administration.
鈥淲e have a good relationship with the NUP (in the House). The NUP is with us on many issues,鈥� he added. .
The NUP, which currently counts 32 House members and 18 governors, expects its numbers to rise when some members of Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats sign up with NUP by July 25, when the President delivers his State-of-the-Nation Address.
The NUP was formed early this year, mostly by former Lakas-Kampi members who wanted to dissociate themselves from their previous patron, Arroyo.