Mayor, Vice Mayor Quit Philippine President's Party, Join LP

November 18, 2009 11:54 a.m. EST

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista quit the ruling coalition Lakas-Kampi on Wednesday and will take oath as new members of the opposition Liberal Party Thursday.

Belmonte and Bautista will be joined by other elected city officials who defected to the LP in the swearing in ceremony at the Amoranto Stadium.

Belmonte plans to run again as congressman of the city's fourth district under the LP, which has Senator Benigno Aquino III as its presidential candidate in next year's national elections. Bautista plans to run for mayor of Quezon City.

Belmonte became the second top official of Lakas-Kampi to defect to the LP camp after Batangas Governor Vilma Santos and her husband, former senator Ralph Recto. Santos and Recto switched to LP last week.