Noynoy's girlfriend and Richard Gomez are latest LP recruits

The power of love proved stronger than party loyalty for the girlfriend of presidential aspirant Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, who is the latest in a growing list of recruits to the Liberal Party. On Tuesday, Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad jumped ship from the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD to the Liberal Party. Noynoy is the standard bearer of the party. Soledad said her decision to transfer to LP was her own, and "Noynoy did not impose anything on me." Actors Richard Gomez and Marjorie Barretto joined Soledad and 107 other local officials who took oath at the LP's headquarters in Balay Expo in Cubao, Quezon City. In separate interviews, the three political aspirants said the LP’s campaign for political change made them decide to switch parties. Like Soledad, Barretto used to be a member of Lakas Kampi-CMD while Gomez made his unsuccessful Senate bid in the 2007 elections under the Nationalist People's Coalition. Soledad and Baretto will seek re-election as councilors in Valenzuela and Caloocan, respectively. Gomez will run for Congress in the 4th district of Leyte, the home province of his wife Lucy Torres. Gomez said Noynoy’s sister Kris Aquino convinced him to join the LP. He added that the party had agreed to provide financial support for his congressional bid in 2010. - AMITA LEGASPI/YA, GMANews.TV