members, the choice of the executive committee seems to have narrowed down to Defense Secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, a young and soft-spoken lawyer from Tarlac.

Gabriel Claudio, the coalition’s secretary-general and chief political strategist, did not directly say that the executive committee was really heading toward having Teodoro as its choice as standard bearer of the pro-Arroyo coalition. The 60-man execom is the body that will act as the screening committee of the names to be endorsed their party members for the national convention, in choosing their standard bearer.

Yesterday, 85 Lakas-Kampi-CMD members in the House of Representatives endorsed Teodoro’s presidential bid in an apparent attempt to sway the decision of the national executive committee in its meeting scheduled today.

Speaker Prospero Nograles and Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay were one in saying that the presence of the lawmakers at yesterday’s breakfast meeting demonstrated their utmost support for Teodoro. "It’s very difficult for them to be present here at 7:30 a.m., but they came to show their support for Gibo (Teodoro)," Magsaysay said

Teodoro welcomed the congressmen’s support. "This show of support is not really a show of support for me. But a show of support to the party. We heard that we don’t have a chance. But our exercise today. And continued bonding exercises in the future will be the force to reckon with," he said.

Claudio said today’s excom meeting would see the culmination of the selection process wherein three potential nominees for the coalition’s standard-bearer post would present themselves before the excom members and make a formal declaration of their platforms that would serve as prime basis of their assessment toward formulating their much-awaited decision.

Based on the reports that came in lately, Teodoro had already obtained supports coming from the League of the Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), Interior Local Government chief Ronaldo Puno, and just the other day, some 70 members of the Congress.

On the fate of Vice President Noli de Castro, whom the Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwarts had groomed to serve as the coalition’s standard bearer, Claudio said: "We cannot take the liberty of counting him out. Technically, the deadline has not yet lapsed. It’s not the deadline per se that we imposed on him. It’s just that the party has its own processes and timetable to keep and he has always been aware of that. By tomorrow, if we have not received a positive response from him for joining the party or the process, we will of course proceed (to our procedures)."

As of press time yesterday, it was not clear if De Castro would submit himself to the excom’s screening. The coaltion’s executives already gave him extra leeway to make his decision on whether or not to accept the offer raised by some key leaders of the coalition.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief Bayani Fernando, the administration’s other presidential aspirant, expressed hope the excom choose him on the basis of his much-vaunted loyalty to the president, a character trait that Claudio simply admired.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the coalition was inclined to support those bent on seeking the presidency over reluctant candidates. "It’s important that candidates manifest their willingess to join the Lakas-Kampi party. Those with potentials but are reluctant or are dilly-dallying, I think, is at the losing end," said Zubiri, a member of the execom and Lakas-Kampi vice president for Mindanao.

Zubiri said Teodoro has a "strong base support. So right now he’s the frontrunner in the selection, followed by Fernando who is also a member of the party."

On the prospect of the ruling coalition’s chances to bag the presidency in next year’s national polls, Nograles said in a statement "the obviously discordant tunes emanating from the various opposition camps could spell good omen" to Teodoro or whoever the administration party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD would finally choose as its standard bearer in 2010.

Speaker Nograles added that a square-off between Teodoro and his cousin Sen. Noynoy Aquino in what is dubbed as the "Battle of Tarlac" or a four-cornered fight among Teodoro, Aquino, Sen. Chiz Escudero and Sen. Manuel Villar will be a very exciting political match.

This position of Nograles is in sync with the declared preference of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno for Teodoro as his running mate in the 2010 elections as he noted the groundswell of support for the defense chief by key provincial political stalwarts.

Puno said that out of 81 governors nationwide, an overwhelming 49 governors have already committed their support for Teodoro.

Meanwhile, a congressman who wanted the Visayas-Mindanao represented in the country’s top leadership rooted for Finance Secretary Margarito Teves.

Another possible contender for vice presidential nomination is Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos.