VP Noli: I won't settle for less than the presidency

MANILA, Philippines - Should he decide to run in the 2010 elections, he wouldn't settle for nothing less than the presidency, Vice President Emmanuel "Noli" de Castro Jr said Thursday. In an ambush interview at the sidelines of the merger rites at the Manila Hotel of the Lakas-CMD and Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) parties, De Castro dismissed the possibility of a Villar-De Castro tandem. "Two people aiming to run for president cannot be in tandem," De Castro said. De Castro is yet to make up his mind whether he would run in the 2010 polls, while former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr has long been on the track for the most awaited political race. When asked when he would decide to run, he said in jest: "Kakain muna ako [I would have to eat first]." The Arroyo administration has been toying on the idea of fielding either De Castro or Defense chief Glibert Teodoro as presidential bet, even as a De Castro-Teodoro tandem had been contemplated on. The Vice President has consistently topped in several surveys on the Filipinos possible choice for next president. Teodoro not budging Three days before De Castro made known his stance, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro also said he wouldn’t be sliding to any lower position if ever he would decide to run for 2010. He would gun for the presidency and any other government post is "not in the table right now," he said. He said he is optimistic he would be selected as standard bearer of the Lakas-Kampi party. "I have a fair and fighting chance and I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support that our people are telling me, that they have been giving me," he said. He also dismissed his poor showing in the surveys. "Iba yung survey, iba naman sa nomination [Surveys and party nomination are two different things]," Teodoro said. He said he would welcome whatever the result of the merger would be. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV