Teodoro, Manzano confident of victory in 2010 elections

Nation
Thursday, 19 November 2009 22:19


AFTER being proclaimed as the official candidates of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats), presidential bet Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro and running mate Eduardo “Edu” Manzano on Thursday expressed confidence of winning in the May 2010 elections.

Teodoro, in his speech at the administration party’s national convention held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, said, “Abangan ninyo, Gibo-Edu [ang] mananalo sa 2010 [Watch out, Gibo and Edu will win in 2010].”

For his part, Manzano promised not to give up his vice-presidential bid despite the flak that he has been getting since he agreed to be the running mate of Teodoro.

“Mga kaibigan, nais ko pong linawin na sa aking pagtakbo, hindi ko po tutularan si Miguel Cotto [Puerto Rican boxer], na tumakbo, pero paatras, sa laban nila ng ating pambansang kamao, si Manny Pacquiao [My friends, I would like to clarify that when I run, I will not be like Miguel Cotto, who ran but ran backward in his fight against the country’s boxing icon Manny Pacquiao],” he said.

“Ako po ay tatakbo ngunit hindi paatras kundi paabante—kasabay ng ating magiging susunod na pangulo, patungo sa isang mas maganda at mas maaliwalas na bukas para sa ating bansa [I will run forward, not backward—together with our next president, toward a much better and brighter future for our country],” he added.

Manzano vowed to give his entire being “to the task of attaining victory” in the 2010 elections.

President Arroyo, who presided over the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national convention as president emeritus, has called on all party members to work hard to push Teodoro and Manzano to victory in next year’s elections.

“Its young, dynamic and competent leaders in the persons of Teodoro and Manzano show that it is the ‘party of the future’ that could usher in a new generation of leaders,” she said.

The President said she recognized the “big and arduous” task ahead for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, which is “the true [political] party of the people and the only party that held the nation’s interest at heart.”

Mrs. Arroyo also relinquished leadership of Lakas-Kampi-CMD to Teodoro, who she said had what it took to steer it to become “the party of the future.”

Mrs. Arroyo handed over the reins to the “brilliant, young and hardworking Teodoro” at the party’s national convention, with 2,894 members present to constitute a quorum.

She rallied the national delegates behind what she described “the dominant party of the generation, the largest party for 15 of the last 17 years, of which 70 percent of elected leaders are members.”

After delivering her speech, the President exercised her last act as party leader, to get four party resolutions approved on the floor. Then, she stayed around to listen to the speeches of Manzano and Teodoro, who outlined their vision and platform of governance.

No ill feelings for defectors

MRS. Arroyo has no ill feelings among party mates in Lakas-Kampi-CMD who recently bolted the administration party.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD who shifted to other parties have their own personal reasons.

He told reporters after attending the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national convention on Thursday at the PICC in Pasay City that the President has no grudge against former party mates who have decided to jump ship.

Ermita added that Mrs. Arroyo is clearly a well-seasoned veteran in politics, and she did not consider as “treasonous” the move of some Lakas-Kampi-CMD members who decided to desert the administration party in favor of other political parties which they deemed could provide them a better political edge in the elections.

He added that Quezon City Mayor Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. has asked permission and relayed to the party of his move to join Liberal Party (LP), together with Vice Mayor Herbert Bautisa and his daughter Joy Belmonte.

Ermita stressed that Belmonte’s late wife, Betty Go-Belmonte, is very close to the late President Cory Aquino, and Belmonte served as chairman of the Government Service Insurance System during the term of President Aquino before he decided to run for congressman in Quezon City.

He said that while there are some of its members shifting to the LP, there are also LP members joining the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, like Caloocan City Rep. Mitch Cayanon and Marinduque Gov. Bong Carreon.

Ebdane to announce team on November 29

FORMER public works secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said he would announce his running mate, as well as the senatorial slate, of his party Partido ng Manggagawa and Magsasaka on November 29.

His campaign manager would be former executive secretary Ruben Torres, who is identified with former President Fidel Ramos.

Torres served as Ramos’s labor secretary and later executive secretary.

Ebdane said his vice-presidential candidate “is a person who is qualified, Filipino citizen, and is known in the print media.”

Speaking before the District Engineers League of the Philippines at the Manila Hotel, Ebdane laid down his platform of government, which he said was anchored on good governance.

“All who serve the people must be models of honesty and integrity. Those who engage in corrupt practices should be held accountable,” Ebdane said.

He said his party would push for the betterment of workers to receive “full jobs and not only minimum wage…but a just living wage.”

“Policies and laws must encourage the growth of unionism and protect workers’ rights,” he added.

He also stressed that the endorsement of Ramos would be vital to his candidacy.

“He [Ramos] is that credible. I hope I am the one he would endorse. He is one important person who can give support to me,” he said.

Ebdane served as the deputy commander of the Presidential Security Group during the Ramos administration. Ramos later named him commander of the Manila Police District.

Lim accepts inclusion on LP slate

DETAINED Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim welcomed his inclusion on the senatorial slate of the LP as an adopted candidate, as he endorsed the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

“With profound gratitude, great humility and deep awareness of the responsibility, I am extremely honored to have been included on the slate of Liberal Party’s senatorial candidates,” the detained general said in a statement sent to military reporters.

Lim, who is among the military officers being tried on charges of attempted mutiny by a military court, said he believed that Aquino can address the country’s problems that were brought by the Arroyo administration.

“[The] first task of national leadership is to set honest and realistic priorities in our policies and our budget. I believe that the administration of Sen. Noynoy Aquino will do that, and I trust that he will continue the fight for democratic reforms,” he said.

While running as independent, Lim also agreed to be adopted by other political parties from the opposition, including the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino of former President Joseph Estrada and the LP.

Laban backs only Loren

LABAN ng Demokratikong Pilipino leaders, meanwhile, endorsed Nationalist People’s Coalition Sen. Loren Legarda’s vice-presidential bid but kept their options open on who the party would support among the presidential contenders from rival parties.

“We are not excluding anyone [from the LDP selection process],” Sen. Edgardo Angara, LDP party president, told reporters at the sidelines of the LDP National Executive Council meeting at the Manila Hotel.

Angara indicated that among those being considered are former President Joseph Estrada of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino, Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party, Sen. Noynoy Aquino of the LP and former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

In an interview, Angara explained that while Legarda asked the LDP to support Villar, her running mate who is the NP standard-bearer, the Laban executive council gave party stalwarts a chance to first study the platforms and programs of each presidential candidate before making a party decision on the LDP endorsement.

This developed as former socio-economic planning secretary Ralph Recto expressed surprise over reports that former senator Sergio Osmena III left the LP owing to Recto’s entry on the LP senatorial slate.

“In the first place, my wife [Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos] and I were invited to join the Liberal Party ticket. We did not apply for it,” Recto said, adding that, “my service in the government is of public record. It is one unstained by any charge of corruption or wrongdoing.”

Osmeña was reported as saying that he opted to leave the Noynoy Aquino-Mar Roxas presidential campaign owing to disagreements over the LP leaders’ decision to bring in Recto, a former Arroyo Cabinet official, into the LP senatorial slate.

Osmeña confirmed that he talked to Aquino on Monday about his plan, and Aquino asked him to stay, but he has made up his mind to leave.

Osmeña had questioned the LP leaders’ judgment in accepting a former Arroyo Cabinet official who, he says, had not exposed nor resisted the Arroyo administration’s corrupt activities.

Osmeña’s beef is that the Aquino-Roxas campaign had promised new politics and much higher standards of behavior but this was negated by the LP’s move to draft Recto in the ticket.

“How can they accept an Arroyo administration official who has sponsored the most painful tax measure imposed on the people—the expanded value-added tax—which merely gave Arroyo and her political cohorts more money to steal?” he asked. (B. Fernandez, R. Acosta and PNA)


Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/nation/18765-teodoro-manzano-confident-of-victory-in-2010-elections.html