Lakas eyes De Castro-Teodoro ticket in 2010
By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:12:00 05/26/2009
Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics
Close this MANILA, Philippines -- The tandem of Vice President Noli de Castro and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for the 2010 elections is in the works, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday.
Zubiri, who is secretary general of the administration party Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats, said it was a “toss up†between De Castro and Teodoro for the nomination.
De Castro and Teodoro were invited to attend ceremonies formalizing the merger of the Lakas and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) parties at the Manila Hotel on Thursday, which will be presided over by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Zubiri said.
While other presidential aspirants in the administration ticket are still being considered, Zubiri said: “But early indications are that the nomination for the administration’s bet would be a toss-up between Teodoro, who enjoys the party members’ support, and De Castro, who has much better ratings.â€
“The vice president’s consistent showing in recent poll ratings is of prime consideration among party leaders. But Secretary Teodoro’s known competence, qualifications and track record as a three-term congressman and the country’s youngest defense chief are also being weighed carefully,†Zubiri said.
Without pre-empting the scheduled selection process, Zubiri said: “I must say both Vice President De Castro and Secretary Teodoro are enjoying slight advantage among other presidential hopefuls within the administration coalition.â€
“The medium is the message,†said Ray Roquero, executive director of Lakas, when asked about the implication of the possible attendance of De Castro and Teodoro at the merger ceremony.
Practically all politicians allied with Arroyo are expected to attend the Manila Hotel event, Roquero said in a separate interview.
De Castro and Teodoro showed up at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday wearing identical attire -- long-sleeved shirt with green stripes.
This easily caught the attention of the other Cabinet members, who then raised the hands of the two presidential aspirants as if to proclaim their tandem for the 2010 presidential derby.
“The ... shirts have striking similarity,†Secretary Gabriel Claudio, the presidential adviser on political affairs, said in a phone interview.
“Teodoro’s green stripes were lighter compared to Noli’s,†Claudio said, but he refused to say if this meant that Teodoro would eventually slide down as De Castro’s running mate.
Besides the signing ceremony, the first meeting of the national executive board between Lakas and Kampi will take place on Thursday.
Zubiri said the merger would solidify the ranks of the ruling coalition in the next year’s elections and significantly increase the chances of its standard bearer in winning the presidential derby “in the face of a divided opposition.â€
Roquero said that the merger “gives birth to a political powerhouse likely to dominate the 2010 election and set the course of its politics and economy in the next decade.â€
He said the merger was “more than a political marriage of convenience.â€
“We are a party of principles and ideology. And we are proud of Lakas-Kampi’s program of government, because the bottom line is, politics must serve the people and articulate the national aspiration, not personal ambition and quest for power,†said Roquero.
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