INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? The Marcoses and left-wing groups can work together under the Nacionalista Party (NP) and help bring victory to the party in the May 2010 election, its standard-bearer senator Manuel Villar said.

The NP sealed its alliance with the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) of Ilocos Norte Representative Ferdinand ?Bongbong? Marcos Jr. in a gathering Friday in Mandaluyong City attended by both the congressman and Villar.

?Hindi naman kaila na nagkakasundo kami sa lahat ng bagay, kinakailangan lamang na nasa isipan natin. Lahat kami, ang mahalaga ay ang aming pagmamahal sa mahihirap, ang aming kagustuhan na mapuksa itong kahirapan na ito, at kinakailangan natin ay sama-sama ang lahat ng sector (It?s known that we agree on all issues, we just need to keep this in mind. All of us, the important thing is our love for the poor, our desire to eradicate poverty, and the need to unify all sectors,? Villar told reporters in a chance interview after the formal signing of the agreement sealing the NP and KBL alliance.

When asked if anti-Marcos partylist lawmakers who have signified their intent to support Villar for the 2010 elections were consulted regarding the KBL and NP alliance, Villar said: ?Na-konsulta din? alam nila ito at naniniwala ako na maayos naman (they have been consulted?they know this and believe in it). .?

Villar said that he is ?confident? that no conflict will arise from the merger, adding that all issues regarding candidates who intend to join NP and parties who wish to form an alliance, are consulted and explained to all members.

Leftist partylist lawmakers, however, warned that this could give rise to ?complications? that could get in the way of the Left?s support for Villar.

Bayan Muna partylist Satur Ocampo, head of Makabayan, a coalition of progressive party list groups, are also in talks with Villar for a possible tie-up for next year?s election.

Villar said he believed the Marcoses and Ocampo?s group could co-exist under the NP. He added he was ?confident? that there would be no conflict between them, stressing that both adhere to the party?s goal to fight poverty.

Villar also said that the leftist leaders knew about the KBL?s alliance with his party.
The senator, however, did not say how he intended to resolve the issues raised by Ocampo against the Marcoses, including the compensation for human rights victims under the administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the recovery of ill-gotten wealth. Ocampo said these issues can not be compromised.

The lawmaker said that ?should the NP-KBL alliance compromise our stand, we will review our impending support for Senator Villar.?

For his part, Marcos agreed Villar?s statement saying that as long as all candidates under the NP agree and that the foundation of their candidacy is helping the poor, then they are ?committed and ready to fight this fight.?

?We are not the issue, if we are the issue then we would be on opposite sides, but the issue now here is poverty, the issue now here is unemployment, the issue now is education, the issue now is health care, the issue now is foreign relations. These are the issues that we have to fight and we find that we agree on that,? Marcos said.

He added that if the leftist lawmakers decide to withdraw their support from Villar and NP, it would be ?very unfortunate because we have found an area of common agreement and that is the area that I think we should focus on.?