33 out of 64 of Lakas-Kampi nat'l execom endorse Gibo
MANILA - A total of 84 congressmen, including House Speaker Prospero Nograles and President Arroyo's brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo on Tuesday morning signed a manifesto supporting Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro's bid to become the ruling party's standard-bearer in the 2010 presidential election.
“Now, therefore, we, the undersigned members of the House of Representatives, wholeheartedly and unequivocally endorse the Secretary of National Defense, the Hon. Gilberto 'Gibo' C. Teodoro Jr. to be the presidential candidate and standard-bearer of the administration for the May 10, 2010 elections,” the group said.
Most of the congressmen are members of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD. A few party-list representatives were also present.
The endorsement came a day before the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national executive committee meeting, where the ruling party is expected to announce its standard-bearer.
Also among the signatories are key administration allies House deputy speaker Occidental Mindoro Rep. Amelita Villarosa, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. (son of former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez), and Antipolo Rep. Roberto Puno (brother of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno).
“We congressmen should have a say in choosing our standard-bearer. We cannot allow the executive committee to make the decision for us. We are the foot soldiers. We have a better sense who should be the next president,” said Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, who organized the 7 a.m. breakfast meeting with Teodoro at the Flapjacks restaurant at the Ayala Technohub in Quezon City.
Nograles, vice chairman of Lakas-Kampi CMD, said the manifesto will have a big weight on the national executive committee meeting on Wednesday. Congressmen make up a majority (33 members) of the 64-member national executive committee.
Teodoro vs Fernando
In an ANC interview, Teodoro thanked the Lakas-Kampi-CMD members who signed the manifeto.
"It's a very strong expression of support for me and it should carry significant weight, but there are still other factors. It ain't over until it's over," he told ABS-CBN News.
The Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition is choosing between Teodoro and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando on who will be the party's official standard-bearer.
Vice-President Noli de Castro, who has also been invited to run under the administration party, has reportedly rejected the Lakas-Kampi's invitation.
Teodoro said he will leave it to the Lakas-Kampi national executive committee to declare the party's standard-bearer on Wednesday.
"Some of the congressmen are members of the NEC and I'll just leave it to them to make the appropriate representations. Being a prospective standard-bearer, I wouldn't want to place a monkey-wrench in whatever selection process has been done already," he said.
He also downplayed Fernando's allegation that he is more qualified to become Lakas-Kampi's standard-bearer because of his experience in government and his length of stay in the party.
"Well, if [Fernando's] being an original Lakas member translates into expressions of support from members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, then why not? At the end of the day, it's who the majority wants," Teodoro said.
"Experience is relative. I've had experience as a legislator, he does not. Both of us have the requisite amount of experience. It's a question of who can inspire the members to bring the party forward both in electing a president and a whole slate and electing local congressmen and our government executives. It [must] be a unifying leadership," he said.
He said that if he is chosen as the party's standard-bearer, he would hit the ground running and campaign on a platform of "reform...and a healing presidency."
He also said the strong showing of his cousin, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, in the surveys is due to the "novelty" of his presidential bid. "Siyempre, the novelty of [Aquino's] coming in is spurring public awareness and attention," he said.
He added that he expects all the candidates to start again from square one after they declare their candidacies at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
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