Lakas can’t complete Senate slate; NPC adopts free zone on prexy

By Aytch S. de la Cruz

11/19/2009

Despite being the strongest, most organized and biggest party in the country, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD fell five candidates short in coming up with its senatorial slate whom it will present upon holding its national convention today.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday said the administration party wants “a small and compact team” in the 2010 elections. Thus, he added, it may not field a complete 12-slot senatorial slate.

Those running under the administration banner are reelectionist Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Manuel Lapid; League of Municipalities of the Philippines president and Pangasinan Mayor Ramon Guico; Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III; businessman Jess Aranza, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and broadcaster Rey Langit.

Of the seven, only Revilla figured in the “Magic 12,” ranking 5 in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Ermita said there was no assurance yet that this current line-up they have would be expanded but the doors of their party shall be kept open, especially for those whom they had earlier approached to be part of their roster.

Among the names earlier floated to be included in the administration party’s senatorial slate were the other Cabinet members such as Secretaries Margarito Teves of the

Department of Finance, Joseph Ace Durano (Tourism), Arthur Yap (Agriculture), Jesli Lapus (Education), Esperanza Cabral (Social Welfare and Development); Vicente Sotto III (Dangerous Drugs Board) and Augusto Syjuco (Technical Skills and Development Authority).

Durano, Teves and Cabral have begged off.

Ermita added the party is not closing the door to so-called guest candidates.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Miriam Santiago, who are up for re-election, were earlier mentioned by Claudio as possible guest candidate.

But Ermita said there is nothing final yet until the party makes a decision on the matter at the National Convention today at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The convention will formally ratify the nominations of former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and showbiz personality Edu Manzano for president and vice president, respectively.

Oblivious to the low ratings that Teodoro has been getting for the past several surveys, Rey Roquero, deputy secretary general of the party, said Teodoro has the qualities of a good president.

He added more than 3,500 party leaders and delegates — governors, congressmen, city mayors, mayors — representing all regions of the country are expected to affirm their support for Teodoro.

Roquero said the theme of the convention is “Ang Bagong Mukha ng Lakas-Kampi CMD.”

But one of Malacañang’s allies in the Senate admitted being doubtful over the standing in the polls of the administration’s frontrunners in the May 2010 elections, even confessing of inclination to support a vice presidential bet, other than the one being fielded by the ruling party.

Sen. Edgardo Angara yesterday said Teodoro is “probably the most intellectually prepared of them all” among the so-called “presidentiables” but admittedly not the most popular.

Angara also expressed belief that the decision to field former Optical Media Board (OMB) chairman Edu Manzano as Teodoro’s running mate will not boost Teodoro’s candidacy despite being a “celebrity.”

In giving in to reporters’ prodding as to his assessment of the present crop of presidential aspirants, Angara noted that former President Joseph Estrada who took him as running mate during the 1998 presidential elections, still enjoys a strong command among voters.

“Erap (Estrada) continues to draw support at grassroots level especially in Mindanao. But it is going to be a very challenging because of the phenomenon of (Sen. Benigno) Noynoy (Aquino) and the machinery of Villar. So this not fighting like in 1998 where he got majority (of the support of voters),” he said.

“Villar appears to have a machinery. He obviously have loud and visible supporters (composed) of congressmen and governors. But as you know in Philippine politics you are just relying on incumbents. those who are seeking public office the tendency of those guys, of course, to seek their own interest first,” he said.

Angara said his party, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) which will hold a national executive committee meeting today, will not be fielding or support a presidential candidate.

Yet, they intend to rally behind a particular vice presidential aspirant.

“We are not going to field a presidential but we want to support the vice president. We will leave the choice of the presidency to our members. I have my own choice (of a vice presidential bet) but I don’t want to disclose it yet so as not to be accused of undue influence (to our members) and then we would want to support some of our colleagues who are running for re-election,” he said.

Meanwhile, a stalwart of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) yesterday said the party might be given a free hand in choosing their own presidential bets.

“NPC still has to decide who to support for president,” he added.

NPC spokesman and Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian confirmed this saying the party has not formed a coalition with Sen. Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP) although it gave Legarda its blessings to join him in the 2010 race.

Gatchalian’s clarification was also affirmed by NPC founder business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco’s son, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, and Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis.

Cojuangco aired the possibility that the NPC will join the national elections without a presidential candidate even as he stressed Legarda will be supported by the party as its vice presidential candidate.

San Luis admitted that the NPC membership’s loyalty is divided between Teodoro and Villar.

Charlie V. Manalo, Gerry Baldo and Angie M. Rosales

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