The ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party may put off its September 16 announcement on who will be its standard bearer in the 2010 elections, an official of the party hinted Monday.
"We are not sure yet kung September 16 makapagde-decide na kami (We are not sure yet if we will make a decision on September 16," said Prospero Pichay Jr., party vice president in an interview on radio dzXL.
But the choice for standard bearer will definitely be someone from inside the party, said Pichay, a defeated senatorial bet who is presently the head of the Local Water Utilities Administration.
He said the prospects will be given a chance to meet with delegates of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national directorate to convince them why they should be chosen as standard bearer.
Last week, deputy presidential spokesman on economic affairs Gary Olivar said the administration standard bearer will likely be known this coming Wednesday.
Ranking party officials are due to meet on Tuesday, he said.
“May selection process yan, pupulungin natin ang national directorate. Yan ang pipili sino ang kukunin naming presidential bet (We will follow a selection process. The national directorate will meet and select the standard bearer)," he said.
Pichay said that for now, they are considering two members of the party – Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
On the other hand, deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez Jr. said last Saturday the ruling party is not giving up on recruiting Vice President Manuel “Noli" de Castro Jr.
De Castro has consistently been in the top five of recent surveys on prospective presidential bets, while Teodoro and Fernando usually fare below the top ten.
Meanwhile, Pichay belittled the move of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. to stop the party’s Tuesday meeting, saying De Venecia is not a Lakas-CMD member in good standing.
De Venecia was ousted as House Speaker in February 2008, after his son Jose III linked First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo to the $329.48-million ZTE broadband network deal mess.
"He is not a member of good standing. Let him go ahead with that. He cannot dictate (on the party)," Pichay said.
De Venecia branded as "illegal" the merger of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi).
Former President Fidel V. Ramos and De Venecia founded Lakas in the early 1990s. -
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