'Spats' won't stop 2010 victory - Arroyo allies

MANILA, Philippines – Possible internal squabbles within the newly-merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD will not stop the administration from gaining victory in the 2010 polls, its stalwarts claimed Friday. The allies of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made the statement amid apprehensions on the newly-merged party’s ability to keep itself united despite members’ differing preferences for the party’s standard bearer and the continued existence of local squabbles. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani Fernando, a Lakas member who boycotted the formalization of the merger on Thursday due to the party’s attention to non-members Vice President Noli de Castro and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., previously hinted that he might leave the party if he does not get chosen as standard bearer. Teodoro’s wife, Tarlac Rep. Monica Louise Prieto-Teodoro, earlier said some “very powerful" members of the party have offered to back her husband if he does not become the administration’s presidential bet. Teodoro received louder applause from party members over De Castro during the merger’s formalization at the Manila Hotel. Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, president of Kampi prior to the merger, have also said the two parties should have resolved local political disputes, among others, before merging. Merger ‘successful’ But former congressman and staunch administration ally Prospero Pichay, previously Lakas spokesperson and a representative of the Mindanao region in the merger’s unification committee, said internal problems would not lead to the eventual breakdown of Lakas-Kampi-CMD. "There is no such thing as a perfect party," said Pichay, adding that there are always differences in preferred presidential candidates even without a merger. "By and large talagang successful yung merger kasi andaming dumalo na big names [The merger was really successful because a lot of big names were there]," he said in a telephone interview with GMANews.TV. President Arroyo, Lakas-Kampi-CMD national chairperson, delivered a speech during the merger where she urged all party members to unite despite differences in thinking and opinion. Also present as guests were De Castro and Teodoro. Even though former President Fidel Ramos, who co-founded Lakas in the early 1990s, was absent during the merger, Lakas-Kampi-CMD was established with his blessing, Pichay said. Pichay said Ramos was just not able to attend the formalization of the merger because he had to undergo self-quarantine after returning from the United States. Ramos was even the one who suggested the inclusion of “CMD" (Christian Muslim Democrats) in the merged party’s name, Pichay said. "In other words, talagang in the process of the negotiation of the unification, FVR was informed," he said. No standard bearer yet Likewise, House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr., a stalwart of the party who represented the Visayas region in the unification committee, said some members’ differences over issues were expected. "[That is] not surprising at all because you cannot please everybody when it comes to the merging of a political party," he said in a telephone interview with GMANews.TV. Defensor said it was too early to fret over what would happen when the party chooses its standard bearer, as President Arroyo has not even appointed members of the interim national executive committee. The lawmaker added that Fernando has no reason to be sore about Teodoro and De Castro’s presence at the formalization of the merger. "He [Fernando] has no reason to feel bad about yesterday’s exercise because the party has not even come up with a shortlist. We have not talked about who will be our presidential candidate," Defensor said. Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, a Kampi stalwart, said the differences in opinion of the new party’s members would not stop them from eventually uniting behind one standard bearer. "Whenever there is change, political change in a party organization, there will always be a movement, hindi maiiwasan yun. I don’t believe those are cracks, those are just movement within the party insofar as there has been change that was made," he said in a telephone interview with GMANews.TV. "Of course within the party now there are differences in opinion kung sino dapat ang magiging standard bearer. However we do have a nomination and selection process that is in place that is consultative," he said. Even as he acknowledged that the louder applause Teodoro received was somewhat telling of members’ preferred standard-bearer, Antonino said the formal selection process would dictate who party members would support in the 2010 elections. United front The merged party covers 66 percent of incumbent congressmen, 72 percent of governors, 71 percent of city mayors, and 73 percent of municipal mayors, according to presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, who headed the committee in charge of the merger. In her speech during the merger’s formalization, President Arroyo acknowledged that not every member of the party would be satisfied with party decisions. "Rarely will we be unanimous in our thinking and opinion, but I hope that all of us will be disciplined enough to support the party stand," she said. Likewise, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who was Kampi chairperson before the merger, said "there are more things that unite us than divide us." Puno had earlier announced that he wants to be chosen as the party’s candidate for vice president. In the telephone interview, Pichay said there are only "four or five" provinces left that are hounded by squabbles among local politicians. Other party stalwarts like House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Lakas president before the merger, have said they trust that Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s arbitration committee would be able to sort out most, if not all, of local political disputes. Wait and see Villafuerte, who decided not to join the merger due to what he said were unmet prerequisites such as the resolution of local political disputes, said the next six months would reveal whether Lakas-Kampi-CMD would be able to work out its internal problems. "Let’s give them the next six months, an opportunity to thresh out the problems within the next six months," Villafuerte said in a telephone interview with GMANews.TV. Even though Claudio and Pichay said the administration party would still welcome Villafuerte if he decides to rejoin them, the Camarines Sur representative said he would not join the party even if it irons out all wrinkles in the political marriage. "I already made an announcement. There is no turning back," he said. For his part, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said the seemingly unfavorable public perception of President Arroyo’s administration would mar the chances of victory of Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s candidates in the 2010 national elections. "Whatever strength the merged party will have in terms of access to government machinery and resources will be offset by people’s hatred of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her government," Casiño said in a text message to reporters late Thursday. - GMANews.TV