3 TOP POSTS OF LAKAS PARTY NOW VACANT / BONG, MIGS SAY NO TO GIBO
MANILA, NOVEMBER 12, 2009 (STAR) By Paolo Romero - President Arroyo, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, and Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio resigned yesterday as top officials of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.Mrs. Arroyo resigned as party chairman, Ermita gave up his post as president while Claudio quit as secretary- general during the party’s three-hour national executive committee presided by the President in Malacańang to finalize the selection of the administration’s vice presidential candidate as well as address internal issues.
It was the last time Mrs. Arroyo would preside over such a meeting as she formally resigned but she was given the honorary post of president emeritus of the party.
Presidential bet Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., now chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, was present during the meeting.
The resignation of the three party officials will take effect on Nov. 19, the day of the party’s national convention.
Claudio said the resignations of the top party officials would pave the way for a new set of officers to be led by Teodoro.
“So we hope to be able to tap for these positions with the concurrence of the National Executive Committee and the entire party membership during the assembly of the convention on Nov. 19, young, dynamic, not necessarily more handsome leaders of the party to replace us for those positions,” he said.
Ermita also clarified that Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno remains as the Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice chairman despite reports that he was disgruntled with other top leaders of the party.
He also said the position of chairman emeritus remains available for former President Fidel Ramos, who earlier publicly opposed the merger of Lakas and Kampi.
The Commission on Elections has upheld the merger, and party officials are hoping that Ramos would accept the post, Claudio said.
Bong, Migz say no to Gibo (The Philippine Star) Updated November 12, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri rejected yesterday the offer of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD to be the running mate of Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. in the 2010 race.
Revilla and Zubiri both belong to the administration party but they said they were not prepared to run for higher office.
Revilla said he would seek re-election in May 2010 while Zubiri said he wanted to focus on his work as Senate majority leader.
Sen. Richard Gordon also said representatives from the administration tried to talk to him about the possibility of running with Teodoro but he declined because “I don’t agree” with Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s standard-bearer because “I have more experience.”
Revilla and Zubiri said they were grateful for the offer but the party should consider other names.
Teodoro said he would soon come out with a decision on who his running mate would be in next year’s elections.
“I will make that decision when the time comes as to who my vice presidential running mate will be and as to the plans of the President, it is unfair to speculate or drag her into this issue,” he said.
Teodoro said there are ongoing talks with his possible running mates.
Revilla said his ailing father, former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., called him up on Tuesday and reminded him of their agreement that he would not run for higher office.
“After a series of consultations, I believe, along with my leaders in different parts of the country, that I will be more effective in serving the country if I will remain as senator,” Revilla said.
Zubiri, for his part, said he was given 24 hours to decide on the offer but he stressed he was already certain that he would not run this coming election.
“I was one of the first to be approached to run for vice president under Gibo but I declined. As majority leader of the whole Senate, I cannot give my 100 percent commitment to that,” Zubiri said.
Zubiri said the Senate was already being paralyzed due to the campaigning of most of its members.
Zubiri disclosed the administration party was also talking to Legarda and Sen. Francis Escudero but he was not aware of the status of the negotiations. Legarda said she would bare her “platform based” alliance next week. Legarda is reportedly aligning herself with the Nacionalista Party’s standard-bearer, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.
12 NPC congressmen support Gibo
Twelve congressmen and three governors belonging to the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) have pledged support to Teodoro.
The NPC members made the commitment during a luncheon meeting with President Arroyo in Malacańang last Monday, which Teodoro also attended.
“She asked for our support for Secretary Teodoro. How can you say no to her?” Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, one of those invited to the meeting, told The STAR yesterday.
“We were 10 to 12 NPC congressmen, and I saw some governors,” he said.
He said those who met with the President included Isabela colleague Faustino Dy III, Conrado Estrella III of Pangasinan, Vincent Garcia of Davao City, Genero Alvarez and Jeffrey Ferrer of Negros Occidental, Zenaida Angping of Manila, George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental, Antonio Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur, and Jeci Lapus of Tarlac.
Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, also of Isabela, was there, too, he added. Albano is a member of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
Also in the group were Governors Jesus Jurdin Romualdo of Camiguin, Sally Zaldivar Perez of Antique and Josephine Sato of Mindoro Occidental.
A congressman who attended the Palace meeting said they decided to support Teodoro since the NPC no longer has a presidential candidate after the resignation of Sen. Francis Escudero from the party.
Gibo rating up in latest survey
The survey rating of Teodoro had increased to 11 percent --the second consecutive month his ratings moved up – in the latest Pulso ng Bayan survey.
The Issues and Advocacy Center (The Center), in its last quarterly Pulso ng Bayan survey from Oct. 19 to 26, said Sen. Benigno Aquino III remained on top but his rating is now at 23 percent, just three percent above Sen. Manny Villar’s 20 percent. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent, with a 95-percent confidence level.
Teodoro breached the double-digit mark for the first time and moved up to fifth place, a major improvement, according to The Center, with Sen. Escudero slightly ahead with 16 percent, followed in fourth by former President Joseph Estrada with 15 percent.
Ed Malay, director of The Center, said the 1,200 respondents nationwide were asked the question: “Who are you going to vote for if the elections are held today?”
“This was to test not only the mindset of the respondents but also to validate the name recall and the political strengths of each of the candidates,” Malay said.
The Center said this is the second time that Teodoro has figured prominently in pre-poll surveys compared with his survey ratings in other data-research organizations.
Malay said the surge in the rating of Teodoro was attributed to the high level of publicity that was accorded to both the defense department and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) that Teodoro headed and which was at the forefront of the relief operations at the height of the typhoons that inundated large parts of Luzon.
Malay also said Filipino voters are “beginning to look not only at the character of the candidates but on their experiences and qualifications as well.” – Aurea Calica, Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero, James Mananghaya
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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