With no mayoral bet, ruling LP aligns with NP, UNA bets in Caloocan

Unlike many provinces and cities in which a member of the Liberal Party is running for the top elective local position, such is not the case in Caloocan City.

In fact, the ruling coalition in the city--of which the LP is part--is headed by a member of the Nacionalista Party, Mayor Oscar Malapitan.

On the other hand, his running mate Vice Mayor Macario Asistio III is a member of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance.

The highest LP official in Caloocan's administration coalition is Representative Edgar Erice, the party's vice chairman for political affairs and one of the staunchest defenders of President Benigno Aquino III and LP standard bearer Mar Roxas.

“Pero dito walang pinag-usapang partido, basta kami nagkaisa kami, gusto namin magkaroon ng peaceful cooperation ang lahat ng political personalities para sa pag asenso ng Caloocan,” Erice told GMA News Online.

Asked if a lack of talent in the LP forced the party to skip fielding a mayoral candidate, Erice said such it was not the case.

“Mayroon nga kaming cooperation nina mayor, nirespeto ng partido yung cooperation namin,” Erice said.

“Nakita mo naman dito walang ibang presidential candidate kundi Mar Roxas, di ba?” he added.

A former LP member is actually running for mayor, Caloocan Representative Recome Echiverri.

Erice said the Caloocan coalition asked Echiverri to run for reelection but was rejected. Echiverri wanted to return to city hall.

“Kasi kinakausap namin siya na magkaroon kami ng...na tumakbo na lang siyang congressman e ayaw niya e, ayaw niya makipag-cooperate. Gusto niya maging mayor,” Echiverri said.

Echiverri was a three-term mayor of Caloocan before running for Congress in 2013, when he defeated Malapitan’s son, Dale Gonzalo Malapitan.

As expected, Echiverri has a different version of the story. He blamed Erice for his decision to run for mayor.

“I left Liberal Party because I think hindi na kami nagkakaintindihan sa loob because of Erice," Echiverri told GMA News Online.

"Erice is in coalition with the local candidates na kalaban ko so it would be unfair for me to stay with LP,” he added.

“And besides wala akong tiwala sa leadership ng LP," said.

Asked why, Echiverri would not elaborate.

"Basta," went the answer.

Echiverri said Erice wanted to get the post from him when he was still the mayor and the latter was his vice mayor.

They ran as a tandem under the LP banner in 2010.

“There was an evil motive on the part of him na agawin talaga ang pwesto sa akin. Wala kaming disagreement, at wala akong nakikitang dahilan para magkahiwalay kami except yung evil (scheme) niya na agawin yung power sa akin,” Echiverri said.

Echiverri said he was not threatened that the major political parties are supporting the ruling coalition in Caloocan.

He said that if Erice and Malapitan had Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay respectively behind them, he had Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Echiverri said that his chances of winning had been “always great.” He believed that history will repeat itself and he will be victorious over the two again.

“Great chances because it happened before. Lahat ng kalaban ko magkakasama sila, palagi naman akong nananalo, ni minsan hindi pa nanalo sa akin ang mga iyan e,” Echiverri said.

“Nangyari na yan, every election nagtutulong-tulong sila, hindi pa sila nag-emerged victorious against me,” he added.

Malapitan, for his part,  said that he included LP members in his lineup to help him continue what he has done for the city.

“E coalition kami sa lokal. We respect the decision noong mga kasama namin. Ngayon nagsama ang LP at UNA. Si Cong. Erice, yung mga konsehal nya isinama ko sa koalisyon namin,” he said.

He believed the coalition will not cause any tension as all the national candidates are welcome to go and campaign in Caloocan.

“Kahit kaninong presidentiable, welcome sila sa Caloocan. Everybody is welcome, even Duterte and Poe, they are welcome,” he said.

The LP councilors see nothing wrong with the coalition of administration and opposition candidates in the city.

“Iba man ang adhikain, iisa lang naman ang layunin para sa kabutihan, para mapaunlad ang ating lungsod. Iba man ang pananaw sa nasyunal, pero sa lokal iisa lang naman ang gustong mangyari,” said LA Asistio, a candidate for councilor

Reelectionist councilor Tino Bagus believes the people of Caloocan will benefit from the coalition.

“Actually malaking tulong talaga lalong lalo na si Cong Egay kasi yung hindi kayang pondohan ng city government, napopondohan ni Cong. Egay," Bagus said.

"Napakalaking pera ang nailagay niya dito, (katulad ng) flood control project dyan sa gawi ng Dagat-dagatan area,” he added. --NB, GMA News