MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the self proclaimed chairman of the ruling party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, left the country hours ahead of the party's announcement of its presidential candidate for 2010.
A report by ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda said President Arroyo flew to Turkey after midnight Wednesday.
In a statement before she left the airport, Mrs. Arroyo said she was invited by Turkey President Abdulla Gul to join him in commemorating the 60th anniversary of Turkey-Philippines diplomatic relations.
She said that she will also meet with Ekmeleddin Inhasnoglu, the Turkish secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to discuss the organization's role in helping restore peace in Mindanao.
After Turkey, Mrs. Arroyo is also scheduled to visit leaders in United Kingdom where she will meet allies who have signified support for the Mindanao peace process, and then to Saudi Arabia to promote the welfare of Filipino women working in the oil-rich country.
"Our trips have helped secure important trade opportunities and foreign investments that have in turn helped us achieve 34 quarters -- or more than eight years -- of uninterrupted growth. It is this achievement that enables us to withstand thee recession that is now raging us.," she said.
Mrs. Arroyo, who was earlier reported as favoring Vice-President Noli de Castro for the endorsement, left despite the Lakas-Kampi-CMD's scheduled announcement of its standard bearer for the 2010 presidential election.
There were rumors that the ruling party was poised to announce Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro as its standard bearer.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, in an interview with ABS-CBN, declined to name who has been picked by the party's executive committee.
"Two are vying for presidency, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and DND Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. We will have a feel from the membership from the executive committee on who the leadership might prefer as standard bearer," Ermita said.
He said that De Castro had been taken out of the list of possible standard bearers after the vice-president failed to join the party on Tuesday.
Ermita said that he would not preempt the executive committee's announcement set at 9:30 a.m. at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City.
He said he expects all Lakas-Kampi-CMD members to attend the event.
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