IS LP UNDER IDEOLOGICAL OVERHAUL?

The website of the National Institute for Policy Studies(NIPS) is curiously empty. NIPS is "the Philippine liberal think tank. Since its inception in 1989, NIPS is the principal political institute focused on the promotion of liberalism and democracy in the country. NIPS facilitates the study, development and the promotion of liberal politics. It does this primarily through public advocacy and political education programs." (Friedrich Nauman Stiftung Foundation). It tags itself as “THE LIBERAL THINK TANK”

NIPS Website is EMPTY

Two Liberal Party (LP) senatoriables took protectionists stances on foreign-ownership. Guest candidate Sonia Roco in a face-offwith fomer House Speaker Jose de Venecia said she was against foreign-ownership of the media. Senatoriable Nereus Acosta took a protectionist stance against foreign-ownership of the land, in a face off against Nacionalista Party senatoriable Gilbert Remulla who sponsored the foreign-ownership,a rguing that these would allow the influx of foreign capital that can be used in the development of the land.

The host media outlet ANC noted the irony in the stances of the candidates.

The foreign ownership of the land and of the media are issues that leading liberal figures in the Philippines supported in "Liberal Views on Constitutional Reform" It becomes even more ironic to note that LP campaign Dr. Nereus Acosta sits on the board of NIPS, as the chairman of the board, and that LP Director-General Jose Luis Martin C. Gascon sits as the managing director.

One couldn’t help but be suspicious: Is the Liberal Party under an ideological overhaul? Two of its candidates had taken populist stances. The website of the policy think tank closely associated with the party was emptied of its content. The shift in the party's policies could not have been marked without reference point: its policy think-tank.

The coincidence is too apparent not to be remarked. This blogger sent an e-mail to NIPS but, the email bounced. It had also sent columnist Manolo Quezon a message on twitter soliciting his comment on the still-unanswered question: Why was NIPS website emptied?

FOREIGN OWNERSHIP, UNPOPULAR?

Remulla, running under the Nacionalista Party, ranked 14^th to 17^th in the latest Pulse Asia senatorial survey,^th-43^rd with only 3.9% voting for him. with a 10.5 percentage point improvement. On the other hand, Nerues Acosta ranked 30

In a February 2009 Pulse Asia Survey, the firm said “A big plurality of Filipinos (42%) is against charter change now while a sizeable majority (64%) does not think it is appropriate to amend the 1987 Constitution at this time” and “Economic improvement is the top reason cited by those favoring charter change” which comprises the other 33% of the respondents. 22% of the respondents are undecided.

LIBERALS in the CYBER WORLD

A Facebook user said he is taking off Roco and Acosta from his list due to their stance. Some users blamed LP Chairman FranklinDrilon for the seemingly ideological overhaul in the Liberal Party. One user said “Drilon spoiled everything.” Another accused Drilon of “mafia-ing” the party while a user remarked "I think there's something wrong when a party anchored on an ideology turns its back on their franchise in the political spectrum. " These users consider themselves liberals in their “political views.”

In 2004, the Liberal Party split into two wings: the Drilon-Roxas Wing and the Atienza-led Wing. Each claimed to be the genuine Liberal Party. The Supreme Court has since recognized the Drilon-Roxas Wing as the rightful Liberal Party.

NOTE: In efforts to be fair, this blogger sent an email to NIPS (info@nips.org.ph) soliciting their explanation for the lack of content of their website. But the email bounced. This blogger also contacted via Twitter a trustee of NIPS, and is currently awaiting his comment.