DANDING WILL BACK HIS NPC PRESIDENTIAL BETS, CHIZ, LOREN IN 2010
MANILA, OCTOBER 23, 2009 (STAR) By Jess Diaz - Billionaire businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. will support the presidential bid of Sen. Francis Escudero, Pangasinan Rep. Marcos Cojuangco, the businessman’s son, said yesterday.“My dad and I will support the presidential ticket of our party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and that ticket will be composed of Senators Chiz Escudero and Loren Legarda,” he told a Quezon City news forum.
Rep. Cojuangco was asked whether he and his father would back the presidential bid of their cousins, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.
There are speculations that Aquino and Teodoro being their blood relatives, the Cojuangcos would eventually shift their support to either of the two presidential aspirants.
Aquino is the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party, while Teodoro is the ruling Lakas-Kampi’s presidential candidate.
Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino and Danding Cojuangco Jr., who heads San Miguel Corp., were first cousins, though they were on opposite sides of the political fence during the Marcos years.
On the other hand, Teodoro’s mother, former Tarlac congresswoman Merceditas Cojuangco Teodoro, is a sister of the San Miguel boss.
Rep. Cojuangco said he, his father and other NPC leaders and members cannot support his two relatives.
“They have their own aspirations and we have our own aspirations, which lie in the tandem of Chiz Escudero and Loren Legarda,” he said.
He said the two would soon make an announcement on their partnership and their quest for the top offices of the land.
“I hope that there’s no storm that will abort that announcement,” he quipped.
Two successive weather disturbances, “Ondoy” and “Pepeng,” have prevented Escudero from confirming what the public already knows – that he is running for president in the May 2010 elections.
Meanwhile, Escudero shrugged off reports yesterday that Danding Cojuangco is now inclined to support the presidential bid of Aquino.
The talks of Cojuangco’s possible change of mind came amid rumors that Escudero may not continue with his presidential plans.
Legarda, for her part, remained mum on her plans as she said that she will run under “Luntiang Pilipinas” when asked if she will still stick with NPC amid talks that Cojuangco might endorse Noynoy’s bid.
Legarda is set to announce her electoral platform today at Luneta Park, where she will also hold a medical mission and job fair.
Davao favorite
Aquino topped a survey commissioned by Davao City Mayor Roberto Duterte on presidential preferences, garnering 52 percent out of 6,000 respondents.
The survey results from Duterte’s office and which were relayed to the Liberal Party showed that Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. earned 10.59 percent; Escudero, 10.47 percent; former President Joseph Estrada, 10.12 percent; and Teodoro, 3.09 percent.
In another statement, Sen. Manuel Roxas II welcomed the support given him and Aquino by the influential Osmeña family of Cebu and Cebu City councilors.
The Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), a regional political party based in Cebu City and run by the Osmeñas, made the announcement following a recent meeting of its members at the Grand Convention Center in Cebu. – With Christina Mendez, Aurea Calica, Delon Porcalla
HEADLINE FROM THE TRIBUNE:
Gloria kiss of death also haunts her Senate bets By Angie Rosales 10/23/2009
(TRIBUNE) Not only is the ruling coalition, Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, having a hard time forming a tandem with a fighting chance in next year’s elections, it also appears that it is scraping bottom to form a full senatorial slate of 12 due to the lack of strong candidates.
Except for Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who is a shoo-in in the administration’s Senate ticket, some Cabinet officials being considered to fill in the Senate slots are either not eager to join the race or are reluctant to run under the administration banner.
It is widely accepted that being associated with President Arroyo is a veritable kiss of death for aspirants in next year’s national elections.
The Lakas-Kampi-CMD will likely adopt two administration-friendly reelectionists in the upper chamber, Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, as guest candidates even if they are carried by what are considered as opposition parties.
A ranking member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), meanwhile, said the party is going to support the candidacy of Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda even as he disputed reports that the NPC is in disarray and reluctant to support its candidates.
According to Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco the party leaders and all its members are going to support Escudero and Legarda.
“We have a party. NPC. Our party will have its own presidential and vice presidential candidate – that will be Chiz and Loren,” Cojaungco said during the weekly Usaping Balita sa Serye Restaurant in Quezon City.
While Malacañang can easily put up a 12-man slate, the matter of coming up with a formidable team is unrealistic at the moment, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said yesterday.
“The problem with the coming presidential elections, four or five parties fielding in their respective candidates and so they have to come up with a 12-man slate. It’s easy to fill up the slots but to come up with winnable candidates, that’s the more significant concern,” Zubiri, appearing in the weekly Kapihan sa Senado, said.
“I think it’s not only the ruling party experiencing some difficulties on this matter. I think all major political parties are facing the same problem. I had a chance to talk with a very high ranking official of the NP (Nationalista Party) and NPC and they too are having problems,” he added.
Zubiri, Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president for Visayas and Mindanao, said he’s planning to present a proposal, when the ruling coalition holds a national convention on Nov. 12 tentatively in Cebu , for them to come up with only half of the slate. Zubiri also expressed belief that straight voting is no longer doable or achievable in the coming elections, unlike in the past.
So far, the senator could only confirm the name of Revilla as their party’s official candidate although the latter will also likely be a guest candidate of NP and NPC.
“He’s lucky because he will have three parties backing up his candidacy,” Zubiri said.
The senator admitted that Santiago is part of the administration ticket.
“We are also mulling the idea of Enrile, that he be also our guest candidate because despite his being with PMP (Partido ng Masang Pilipino), he has played a very, very vital role in several of the bills that we have approved (in the Senate). This election, there may be a phenomenon and the phenomenon is the (that of having) guest candidates. I think this will be a unique situation,” he said.
Cojuangco also categorically stated that the NPC is not going to support the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno Aquino III.
“Noynoy is with the LP. He is not part of our party,” he said even as he dispelled rumors that there are back channel communications between the camp of Sen. Aquino and his father.
NP spokesman and former Cavite Representative Gilbert Remulla said: “The NP juggernaut is going to be in full swing between now until the May elections. Already, we are seeing governors of big provinces pledging their support for Senator Manny Villar as President...2010 will be about concrete programs for the poor and not charity photo opportunities in Pateros. 2010 will be about sterling track record, competence, and preparations. 2010 will be about moving the country forward based on knowing what to do in times of trial.”
Presidential aspirant and former Public Works and Highways chief, Hermogenes Ebdane hastily made a decision late last night to formally quit his Cabinet position presumably upon learning that Malacañang was eagerly awaiting his resignation after clearly making it known to public his intention to run for the highest public office next year.
In a faxed resignation letter, Ebdane cited “conflict of interest” as among the reasons mentioning as well his sentiments on the so-called “barriers” he had perceived on the administration party’s selection process. Aytch S. Dela Cruz, Charlie V. Manalo, Gerry Baldo
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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