‘Powerful’ people backing DND chief, wife says

MANILA, Philippines - Very powerful people from politics, business, and civil society have offered to back Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. if he does not get chosen as the administration's standard bearer in the 2010 elections. Teodoro's wife, Tarlac Rep. Monica Louise Prieto-Teodoro, made the revelation Wednesday even as she maintained that her husband is intent on getting the nod from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to become the administration's presidential bet in the upcoming polls. "Madami nagbaback-up kay Secretary Teodoro that are very powerful people," she said in an interview with reporters. "It's overwhelming yung pumupunta sa amin e, and these people are very credible." [There are very powerful people backing Secretary Teodoro...It's overwhelming, the people approaching us, and these people are very credible.] Mrs. Teodoro, however, refused to disclose who these personalities were, saying only that they were politicians from the administration coalition, businessmen, and some members of civil society. She also said they are currently not thinking about the offers, as the Defense chief is determined to run for president as the standard bearer of the merged political partiess Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi). The Defense chief, who is currently on a "floating" status after leaving the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), will join the merged party within weeks of the merger's completion, the Tarlac representative said. Mr. Teodoro is expected to attend the formalization of the merged party on Thursday as a guest, along with another possible presidential candidate of the administration, Vice President Noli de Castro. Lakas-CMD secretary general and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Tuesday that Teodoro and De Castro have a slight advantage over other possible administration bets. - GMANews.TV