Chiz not keen on Loren as vice president

By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)
Updated October 27, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the leading presidential aspirant of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), is not keen on recruiting partymate Sen. Loren Legarda as his running mate, a congressman close to Escudero disclosed yesterday.

“Naiinis na si Chiz kay Loren (Chiz is getting irritated with Loren). He has been talking to her but she is still non-committal. She could not make up her mind,” said the lawmaker who refused to be identified.

He said apparently, Legarda is negotiating with presidential candidates other than Escudero.

“If Chiz cannot convince Loren, he will consider running without a vice presidential candidate,” he added.

The prospective NPC standard-bearer is expected to announce his presidential bid tomorrow.

Legarda had announced over the weekend that she would seek the vice presidency, which she lost to Vice President Noli de Castro in the 2004 polls.

However, when asked if she would run with Escudero, she would not give a categorical answer.

“Everything will fall into place at the right time,” she said, adding that she would stay with NPC and the opposition.

There are reports that the members of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD want to recruit her as the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.

Another presidential aspirant reportedly interested in Legarda is Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., the standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party.

A House source claims that a senator close to Legarda is doing the negotiations for her.

“Those are just speculations by media. In all fairness to Sec. Teodoro and Sen. Manny Villar, I haven’t seen or talked with them,” Legarda said.

She admitted that her refusal to reveal whom she would run with has resulted to speculations.

Among the presidential spirants in 2010, only Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party has a vice presidential running mate in Sen. Mar Roxas.


Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=517966&publicationSubCategoryId=63