Parties pick presidential wannabes

January 16, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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MANILA After the Liberal, Nacionalista and United Opposition parties started floating names of their possible candidates for president, the administrations Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats announced it was considering either Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte or Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando as its presidential standard-bearer for the 2010 elections. Other reports are that Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro of the Nationalist Peoples Coalition is also being eyed by Lakas.

Vice President Noli de Castro also announced that he should not be left behind in the presidential race.
Adding to the confusion is the proposal of convicted by pardoned former President Joseph Estrada to run again and split the term with his vice president because of the prohibition on former presidents to run for reelection. Estrada was ousted in 2001 after serving only three of the six year-term of the president.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos of Lakas said that if Estrada runs, he will also run for president although he is prohibited from doing so. Estrada then took up Ramos dare and claimed he would win even if he gives Ramos 8 million additional votes.

Lakas is scheduled to meet soon to discuss plans for 2010 and formulate party objectives. During the partys last meeting, its top leaders agreed to craft party objectives that will serve as the working guide for its members, Bunye said.

Some reports said Lakas was working for a possible alliance, either with the Nacionalista Party which wants Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. to run for president or the Liberal Partys prospective bet, Sen. Manuel Roxas II. Lakas is also said to be holding separate negotiations with Vice-President de Castro.

Ed Malay, media adviser of Ramos, conceded that the administration has limited choices for President in 2010. Malay saidthis amid reports that Estrada might run for President again, if the opposition fails to unite behind a candidate.

Other than Belmonte and Fernando, Malay said the other possible Lakas presidential bets are Vice-President De Castro and Sen. Richard Gordon.

But he added, Vice-President De Castro, despite his impressive ratings in the surveys, has yet to make known his intention for 2010, while Senator Gordon has started mobilizing his forces, but all indications pointed to him leading a political organization that will be independent of Malacanang.

The NP-LP-UNO alliance is threatening to unravel because of the presidential ambitions of most of the opposition leaders.

The NP will definitely field Senate President Villar Jr. as its candidate for president in 2010, former Cavite congressman Gilbert Remulla, NP spokesman, said adding there is no more turning back for Villar.

Remulla made the statement after Liberal Party colleagues of Sen. Mar Roxas announced that the LP has already chosen Roxas to be its presidential standard-bearer in the 2010 general elections.
Aside from Roxas and Villar, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson has also revealed his plan to seek the presidency in 2010.

Sen. Loren Legarda is another presidential hopeful allied with the opposition. She is counting on Sen. Edgardo Angaras Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, of which she is a member, to support her. However, Angaras party is now part of the ruling administration coalition.

Another opposition senator, Francis Escudero, could be a dark horse candidate. He ranked third in last Octobers survey of potential presidential winners.

Villar, Roxas, Lacson, Legarda, and Escudero count themselves with the Opposition led by Estrada. Mention is also made about Sen. Jinggoy Estrada running for president.

Villar won his second term as senator in last Mays elections as a guest candidate of the United Opposition, whose ticket clobbered the administrations Team Unity slate. Only three Team Unity candidates won.

Shortly after the elections, the group of Roxas, Lacson and Legarda, knowing that Villar would be their opponent in 2010, wanted to replace him as Senate president with Pimentel to, in the words of Roxas, level the playing field.”

However, Villar jumped the gun on his opposition colleagues and cemented his hold on his post by forming a majority coalition with pro-administration senators, including the three victorious Team Unity candidates.

His group now includes Angara, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, who were part of the big congressional delegation that accompanied President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo on their trip to France, Spain and London last month.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile predicted that there will be mergers among the Countrys major political parties due to self-interests.

Senator Escudero has appealed to his colleagues and the public to stop too much politicking first because the New Year has just begun.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Philippine News 

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