Gibo, BF face-off in party meeting

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA - Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando on Wednesday delivered speeches and responded to questions at the Lakas-Kampi-CMD's national executive committee meeting on who its presidential candidate will be in next year's polls.

In his speech, Fernando threw a potential monkey-wrench in the plans of the Lakas-Kampi CMD to choose a standard bearer for the 2010 elections after he urged the party to implement a four-point criteria for the process.

Fernando said the Lakas-Kampi CMD leaders should consider tabling the selection process until the selection criteria he proposed is implemented.

The four-point criteria includes:
1. Every party member be informed of the selection process
2. Set a clear measure and criteria for candidate selection
3. Voting to be done by the party at large with duly designated party members
4. Involve as many party members as possible in the process

Pointing out that he had served the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party since its inception in 1991, Fernando said he would keep his options in case he is not chosen by the party to be its standard-bearer.

"Loyalty and love for party should come first before personal ambition...I'd like to see our party to be worth that loyalty that I have for it over the long years I am with it," he said.

For his part, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said he would leave it up to the collective wisdom and judgment of Lakas-Kampi-CMD leaders on who will be the party's standard bearer.

"This I pledge that I am committed to building and strengthening the party to be the leader once again and to continue its leader in Philippine politics because we mean reform and we mean change. We have delivered and we have done it to the best of our ability. No other government can match the achievements done by this administration," he said.

Teodoro and Fernando are both aspiring to be the Lakas-Kampi CMD standard bearer, with the defense chief believed to have a slight advantage over the MMDA chairman. On Tuesday, a total of 84 Lakas-Kampi-CMD and party-list representatives signed a manifesto supporting Teodoro as Lakas-Kampi-CMD's standard-bearer.

A majority of governors in the League of Provinces of the Philippines have also endorsed the presidential bid of Teodoro.

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Nograles, Iggy Arroyo back Gibo

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

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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BF: Lakas-Kampi should pick most loyal bet

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando on Tuesday said loyalty to the party should be the biggest consideration in choosing the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer.

“From the very start, I am hoping that my party will choose me. First of all, I am a true Lakas party member. That can never be contested,” he said at a press conference in Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

Fernando has been with Lakas-CMD since 1992, while his chief rival, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro joined only last July.

“Being a loyal party member—that is the most important condition to be considered for the party’s standard-bearer,” Fernando said. “This decision will reveal the true character of our party."

Survey ratings

Compared to Teodoro, Fernando said he has been getting higher ratings in internal surveys. If the party chooses him over Teodoro, given the ruling party's machinery, he said his 4% rating in these internal surveys would quintuple to 20%.

“Umaasa ako na sa pagkakataong ito maitataguyod ko ng higit pa ang partidong ito sa tagumpay (I am hoping that I could lead our party to victory),” he said.

“Sa kabilang banda, iyong aking katunggali sa pagpipilian na ito ay mayroon lang 0.2% sa nasabing mga survey na iyan. Limang doblehin mo man ang maidadagdag ng partido, aabot lang iyan ng isang pursyento (On the other hand, my opponent to be the party’s presidential bet only garnered 0.2% in the said survey. Even if you multiply that 5 times, it will only amount to one percent),” Fernando said.

He attributed his low ratings in the surveys of reputable polling outfits to people not seeing see him as pro-poor because of his work and policies as MMDA chair.

He also defended the way he governs, saying these are his answers to the country’s problems.

Fernando said the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national executive committee would meet on Wednesday to discuss who they will pick as the party’s presidential bet.

“The congress, leagues of governors, councilors and other leagues—must have no say as to who the party will pick,” he said, referring to the support of over 70 Lakas-Kampi-CMD congressmen for Teodoro’s bid to be the party’s standard bearer.

Fernando also argued that it is not only congressmen who will be choosing the ruling party's presidential candidate.

MMDA Chair

Fernando has been MMDA chairman since June 2002. Among his controversial measures have been the clearing of sidewalks and major roads of illegal vendors, structures, and illegally-parked vehicles.

According to Newsbreak research, Fernando violated MMDA Resolution 04-004 for displaying his tarpaulins without the consent of local government units.

As Marikina mayor from 1992 to 2001, he headed cleanliness and beautification projects that earned him leadership awards and awards for the city. Those projects are currently being continued by his wife, Marikina Mayor Lourdes Fernando.

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