TG Guingona joins LP ticket

Written by Carmela Fonbuena
Tuesday, 13 October 2009



Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto 'TG' Guingona III on Tuesday accepted the invitation to join the senatorial ticket of Liberal Party (LP), which is fielding Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in the May 2010 elections.

“I accept this nomination in the People’s Reform Coalition so that we, all of us here in this room, can provide our people with a map of good governance and a compass of effective leadership for our country,” Guingona said in his acceptance speech.

Guingona is the fifth candidate to join Aquino's senatorial ticket. The others are former Senator Franklin Drilon, Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Muntinlupa Rep. Rufino Biazon, and former Bukidnon Rep. Neric Acosta.

According to Aquino, 18 more prospective candidates are competing for the remaining seven slots in the senatorial ticket.

However, Guingona said he is not joining the LP. "I am not a member of LP. I am a member of Kaya Natin. Just like Rep. Risa Hontiveros, she is a member of Akbayan," he said.
Villar’s loss

Aquino’s gain is Villar’s loss. Long before Aquino announced his presidential bid, Guingona had already earned a slot in the senatorial ticket of Nacionalista Party (NP), which is fielding Senator Manny Villar.

Guingona left NP and its senatorial ticket early this month. (Read: TG Guingona leaves Villar)

Aquino said LP did not raid Villar’s ticket. Family ties prevailed over Guingona, he said.

“Ang maliwanang sa akin dito, ang mga pamilya po namin ay matagal nang magkasama. Mula sa tatay namin, mula sa panahon na pangulo ang aking ina, hanggang sa kasaluykyan, kung may mga issue parati kami magkasama. Kahit hindi magkapartido for such a long time, pareho kami ng ipinaglalaban at pareho kami lumaban,” Aquino said.

“It was a very difficult decision. But yun nga, I chose to remain with Kaya Natin,” Guingona told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak in an earlier phone interview.

Reformist group Kaya Natin (KN) recently endorsed the presidential bid of Aquino.

“Kaya Natin decided to form a coalition with Liberal Party. Obviously, it was untenable to stay with the Nacionalista Party and also stay with Kaya Natin. I had to choose. I chose to stay with Kaya Natin,” Guingona said.

“My legislative agenda and reform advocacy are better aligned with KN and with Noynoy,” he added..
Family ties

LP campaign manager Butch Abad said Guingona may not have left NP if it wasn’t Aquino running for president.

TG Guingona’s father, former Vice President Teofisto “Tito” Guingona, served as President Aquino’s Commission on Audit chief and later became a senator under her senatorial ticket in 1987.


TG and Noynoy were also batchmates in Ateneo.

“With the history of the generations of our families, with the shared advocacies—which started in the 60s and at present, even as we speak—today I’m here. You know what I can say, I feel like I have come home. Boy, is it good to be home,” Guingona said in his speech.

TG Guingona first became a congressman in 2004 under the late Fernando Poe Jr.’s political alliance, Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP). After Poe’s death in 2005, the KNP was dissolved.


TG joined NP in 2006.

Guingona said Villar understood his move. “He took it very well. He wished me good luck. We still remain friends,” he said. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)


Source: http://newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6948&Itemid=88889051