THE ruling Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino III has lost two allies in the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Partido Demokratikong Pilipino or PDP-Laban after the two parties agreed to bolt the coalition and form an alliance to back Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential bid in the 2016 elections.
The NP-PDP-Laban merger was firmed up Monday night during a three-hour meeting at the Hotel Sofitel, which was attended by the top leadership of both parties and Duterte.
“It’s a done deal. The official announcement of the merger of the two parties with Duterte as the standard-bearer will be made last week of September,” a highly reliable source, who was privy to the meeting, told The Standard.