10/22/2009
Administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD has become official after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed a motion for reconsideration filed by former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. on the poll body’s recognition of the merger of parties backing President Arroyo.Lakas-Kampi-CMD president and concurrent Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the party’s confidence has just been raised to another level because the Comelec now duly recognizes Lakas-Kampi-CMD as the majority party, thereby allowing it to pursue its political plans smoothly.
Ermita carried the same undertone when asked if ever he is alarmed by reports claiming that some members from the administration coalition are out to join other camps, asserting that those who jumped fence can readily be replaced by new breeds of political leaders who join their group.
Ermita gushed that if only numbers were to speak, Lakas-Kampi-CMD has the biggest clout in terms of political leadership with 67 percent of current congressmen, 72.5 percent of governors, 71
percent of city mayors, and 74 percent of municipal mayors as members.
Reports circulated this week that former congressman and Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor was in negotiations with some representatives from the Liberal Party (LP) for his mayoralty bid in Quezon City, a report which surprised Ermita himself.
Ermita said he does not have the faintest idea where such reports came from or if it is true because Defensor committed to be a member of the party, calling to mind the way he had shown tremendous support for President Arroyo during her presidential campaign in 2004.
“I’m surprised with that (report) but, again, it falls under the general subject matter that so much development can still happen,” Ermita said.
There were also reports that Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza committed his support to former President Joseph Estrada but this one was quickly denied by Ermita.
“I happened to talk with Secretary Atienza about two hours ago and he said that it is not true that he has jumped ship,” he said.
He added that Atienza himself has assured him that he would remain loyal to the president to the extent of refusing whatever elective post Estrada would offer him to join his lineup.
The Lakas-Kampi CMD party appears to still not have plans to officially name its vice presidential and sentorial bets for next year to run behind its standard bearer, incumbent Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
“I’m not at liberty to tell you what kind of efforts are being done by our party as to who might be running in tandem as vice president with Secretray Teodoro... But there is a very important personality being talked with to be the vice-presidential candidate of Secretray Teodoro,” Ermita said.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, meanwhile, confirmed to Ermita that he was indeed serious in seeking the presidency in next year’s elections, a move that was evident from a series of political advertisements he had in some newspapers lately.
Because of this, Ermita yesterday said the administration was left with no other option but to respect Ebdane’s decision and just wait for his letter of resignation so he could pursue his aspirations.
“Secretary Ebdane had met with me and the President and we asked him about the seriousness of his aspirations and he said ‘yes’, he is going to run. And so, of course, we cannot prevent him from doing so,” Ermita said.
“The only thing that we are trying to find out is whether the good secretary would—him being considered—want to voluntary quit the Cabinet so that he can move around freely, in the same manner that Secretary Avelino Razon had resigned from his post because he told the President, in a letter and also personally, that he is going to make himself busy moving around in preparation for the official campaign for his aspiration as mayor of Manila. So, we are hoping and we are awaiting the move of Secretary Ebdane since he already made known his intention of running for the presidency,” he added.
The DPWH chief, who is currently besieged by allegations of plunder by the Senate committee on economic affairs, is expected to somehow split the vote for the administration presidential candidates since fellow Cabinet member, Teodoro was already named as the administration’s bet.
But Ermita only dismissed such projection asserting that the administration coalition will solidly support Teodoro’s candidacy.
“At first glance, everybody would think that it (Ebdane’s candidacy) may run across the turf of Secretary Teodoro who happens to be officially declared by the majority party as the standard bearer. But we really do not know whose turf or whose group will be affected by the entry of Secretary Ebdane into the race. Remember it’s still early to say that there really are the presidentiables other than the party that they say they are aspiring for it. Who would say whether he will eat up on the supporters of the other candidates? Nobody can say that,” Ermita said.
Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20091022hed2.html
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