BAGUIO CITY — The Liberal Party’s (LP) approval of the transfer of former Senator Ralph Recto and his wife, Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, underwent a rigid screening process done to everyone who wants to join the party contrary to perceptions being floated by former Senator Sergio Osmeña III that it entertains obvious turncoats, former Senator Franklin Drilon said here Sunday.

According to him, the LP is doing its best to settle the rift created by the misunderstanding between Recto and Osmeña, in order to complete its 12-man senatorial slate for the May 2010 automated elections, assuring the latter will still be considered a member of the LP despite an earlier pronouncement he is leaving the party.

If Osmeña pursues his desire to leave the party because of his rift with Recto, Drilon claimed the LP will still continue campaigning for him as a guest candidate for its senatorial slate because the party believes on his credentials as a credible public servant over the past several decades.

The former senator asserted the party does not just accept candidates who are only after parties which are popular, saying many candidates nationwide have signified their intentions of transferring to the LP but not all were accepted.

Drilon, who is also the LP chairman, revealed there were national and local candidates who wanted to join the party that were already rejected and have transferred to other political parties that were willing to accept them.

He asserted the candidates which they accept in the party are those with untarnished reputations contrary to the insinuations by some disgruntled politicians that the acceptance of other politicians from other parties sanctions turn coalition.

Drilon claimed those whom they chose are those who can continue their quest for reforms so that there will be a paradigm shift in how to govern the country in order to achieve the long desired quest for economic development.