Legarda to bare 2010 alliance within the week

November 10, 2009 09:59:00
Charlie Señase
Inquirer Mindanao


COTABATO CITY, Philippines—(UPDATE) Senator Loren Legarda said on Tuesday she would announce within this week whether to run for vice president with presidential aspirant Gilbert Teodoro Jr. under the Lakas-Kampi coalition or with Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party.

"Whether orange (campaign color of Villar) or green (color of Teodoro), I will have to formally announce it within this week," she said during a brief talk before officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao here.

Legarda was guest during the State of the Region Address (SORA) of ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan.

Pressed to divulge the political bandwagon that she would join, during an interview with reporters, Legarda declined to give an answer.

"Let's talk about what we can do to resolve the problem of climate change and other issues concerning social problems and the economy," she said.

"One thing sure, I am running for the vice presidency and I am pro-people and good governance but whether its orange or green, will be known in a few days from now," she maintained.

"I don't want to break the news here," she said, adding that it might obscure Governor Ampatuan's SORA.

When asked to evaluate the performance of Vice President Noli de Castro, Legarda said: "I don't like to compare myself with others as that would be self-serving."

“Mine is to compete with myself in the service of the Filipinos," she said.

Legarda and De Castro were both popular news anchors of the ABS-CBN before they got into politics.

In Davao City, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. urged Mindanao tribal leaders to use the remaining months before the May 2010 elections to prepare and strengthen their group as a force in the polls.

“Gamitin po natin ang natitirang anim na buwan para maghanda, matuto, magpakasanay at palakasin ang hanay (Let’s use the remaining six months to prepare, to learn, to train and strengthen our ranks),” he said during the 4th Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Convention held on November 6.

Esperon told the lumads (indigenous people of Mindanao) that they could be a force to reckon with and that they could contribute a lot in shaping the country’s politics.

”We should show them that we can make it,” he said, adding that unity should be pursued by the lumads.

“Despite diversity in culture, tradition and plight, unity has kept the tribes intact, and it is also the key towards achieving political empowerment and self-governance,” he said.

With a report from Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao


Source: http://politics.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&article=20091110-235364