Many bets weaken planned coalition--execs

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 10:31:00 10/18/2009

Filed Under: Politics, Elections, Eleksyon 2010


MANILA, Philippines--With each political party pushing its own presidential candidate for the May 2010 election, the planned coalition of the three administration parties is unlikely to take off.

This from party stalwarts of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), and the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in the House of Representatives.

"It may be possible but not really probable because Chiz (Senator Francis Escudero) and (Senator) Loren (Legarda) are together and they have so publicly declared," Speaker Prospero Nograles said in a text message Sunday.

In a separate reply to the query over the fate of the ruling coalition in the House, Valenzuela Representative Rex Gatchalian said the NPC is determined to field its own tandem next year. He reiterated that it could either be an Escudero-Legarda or Legarda-Escudero tandem.

Nograles concurrently serves as vice chairman of the merged Lakas-Kampi party while Gatchalian is NPC spokesman.

Both officials were asked to react to initiatives of governors to solicit support from their 80 colleagues all over the country for a planned coalition among Lakas-Kampi-CMD, NPC, and LDP for next year's election. The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) had endorsed a possible team-up between Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and Legarda for 2010. This was the result of a straw vote conducted by the LPP, also known as the Governors' League, during its executive committee meeting in Pasig.

Gatchalian, whose party remains the second biggest in the House, said the NPC and Lakas-Kampi has an existing alliance in Congress, but only when it comes to passing important legislation.

"All our members including the two senators themselves believe that our tandem will catapult us to victory and we do not need to enter into coalitions when it relates to the two top positions," Gatchalian said.

Nograles said that while the coalition was not probable, many things could happen until the final day of the filing of certificate of candidacy on November 30.

The national executive committee of Lakas-Kampi-CMD chose Teodoro and Interior Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno as its possible candidates next year. This would be ratified in a national convention either this month or in November.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD has the biggest number of members in the House, followed by the NPC. LDP has three members led by Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara.


Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091018-230742/Many-bets-weaken-planned-coalition--execs