MANILA,
January 2, 2004 (STAR) By Jess Diaz - The vice presidential race will be
a close fight between two popular broadcasters-turned-senators, Noli de Castro
and Loren Legarda.
Ending months of speculation about her political plans, Legarda announced yesterday that she was accepting the offer of movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. to be his running mate in the May presidential elections.
"I accept, with great honor, the nomination to run for vice president under the banner of the united opposition parties," she told a news conference at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.
Poe and Legarda will file their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila this morning.
However, the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) failed to decide yesterday who will compose its senatorial ticket and will just leave it up to Poe to choose his 12 senatorial candidates from a list of 19.
Rod Reyes, press secretary of ousted President Joseph Estrada and Poe’s official spokesman, said that the list was given to Poe last night.
The fractious Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino identified with Estrada, and the PDP-Laban led by Aquilino Pimentel Jr. make up the KNP.
Legarda’s announcement followed De Castro’s confirmation just a few days ago that President Arroyo had convinced him to be the administration party’s vice presidential bet.
The two vice-presidential rivals were long-time talents of the giant television-radio network ABS-CBN, which is controlled by the Lopez family and where they still have their respective TV programs.
Legarda told the hastily called news conference yesterday that she "agonized" over her decision to seek the vice presidency and team up with "Da King" of Philippine movies.
"Maybe on New Year’s Day, I can bare my soul to you. It would have been the easiest and safest path for me to seek re-election as a senator. But why should I go where there are no risks, no challenges to face? That’s not what my life, my calling is all about," Legarda said.
Unlike De Castro, Legarda’s term as senator ends in June. If she loses in the vice-presidential race, she will be out of public office. But had she opted to seek re-election, she might easily have topped the senatorial polls since she consistently leads in the surveys of potential candidates.
On the other hand, De Castro, whose term ends in 2007, would return to his Senate seat if he loses to Legarda.
In accepting Poe’s offer to be his running mate, Legarda described her standard-bearer as a "man of dignity, humility and compassion."
"The call for change is a national consensus. The clamor for a fresh leadership has assumed a sense of national urgency. Mr. Ronnie Poe and myself are committed to meet the great expectations for a just, competent, healing and unifying leadership," she said.
Legarda revealed that she made the decision to run with Poe Wednesday afternoon, their second meeting in less than 24 hours, after he handed her a letter containing his offer, copies of which she gave journalists during the news conference yesterday.
She disclosed that they first met to discuss the possibility of her running with him between midnight of Tuesday and early morning of Wednesday at a San Juan restaurant. Among those present were Poe’s wife, actress Susan Roces, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito, son of ousted President Estrada, and a common friend, ABS-CBN broadcaster Angelo Castro.
She admitted, however, that there had been informal offers from politicians identified with Poe, including Senate colleagues Edgardo Angara and Vicente Sotto III, the movie actor’s principal political backers.
"I am pleased to personally inform you that I have chosen you to be my running mate for the 2004 elections," Poe said in his letter to Legarda.
"I believe that a progressive country is one where its leaders ACT — each one of them, with the sincere intention of giving his optimum best to the service of the nation and his constituency.
"I can with all conviction say that I believe that you have the makings of a good vice president who will continuously devote her time, talent and effort in the service of the Filipino nation.
"Let our goal together to transcend even our greatest potentials not only as individuals but as a team," Poe said.
Legarda admitted she was impressed with her running mate’s humility, sincerity and genuine concern for the poor.
"We made only one promise to ourselves — that we will work as a team to uplift the lives of our people, heal and unify our fractious nation," she said.
Responding to questions, Legarda said her work ethic, discipline and competence separate her from De Castro and other vice presidential rivals.
Legarda is Senate majority leader, the chamber’s third highest-ranking officer next to Senate President Franklin Drilon and President Pro-Tempore Juan Flavier. As majority leader, she is in charge of the day-to-day legislative business of the chamber.
Legarda conceded that De Castro is slightly ahead in the most recent popularity survey. "But I hope to overcome that with hard work," she said.
She also admitted that Mrs. Arroyo and De Castro are closer to her ABS-CBN bosses than Poe and her.
There were even reports, though denied by the concerned parties, that the Lopezes brokered the GMA-De Castro team in exchange for some supposed concessions.
"I hope they will be fair. It is not a good business sense not to be fair," Legarda said.
As for the fractious political opposition, she said she was optimistic the quarreling groups would eventually unite.
She said both she and Poe would be filing their certificates of candidacy as independents, although the movie actor has been adopted by the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino as its standard-bearer. Legarda bolted the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party in October primarily because party officials were saying she had no chance to be Mrs. Arroyo’s running mate.
None of the politicians identified with Poe attended Legarda’s news conference, although the head of the movie actor’s media team, Reyes, was there.
Also present were members of Legarda’s family. She said though that her husband, former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste, was home caring for their two young children.
She said Leviste, who is a member of the Board of Investments, might have to quit his administration job now that she is allied with the opposition.