Joker: Admin has no viable candidate but Noli

MANILA, Philippines – The administration party has no viable candidate for the presidency in next year’s national elections but Vice President Noli de Castro, an administration senator said on Thursday. “They [administration] have no candidate. That is why they are gravitating towards him [De Castro] and he knows it. They have no viable candidate," Arroyo said. De Castro, an independent associated with the administration, has been topping surveys on preferred presidential candidates but has yet to categorically state his political ambitions for 2010. He had earlier said that if ever he runs, he would not settle for anything less than the presidency. Other administration figures who are reportedly eyeing the top-most position in the land are Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., an independent, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando, an administration party member. De Castro and Teodoro were present during the formal merging of two administration parties – Lakas Christian-Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) – last May 28. On Wednesday, presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, the secretary general of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, said they would decide by the end of next month whether a non-member could be their standard-bearer in the 2010 elections. Arroyo, who ran under the administration coalition in 2007, meanwhile took pride that two members of the so-called Wednesday group in the Senate have been among the consistent topnotchers in presidential surveys. He was referring to De Castro and Senator Manny Villar. “The top two in the polls are both from the Wednesday group so we have no reason to complain," he said. The Wednesday group is called as such for their regular meetings on Wednesdays. Other members of the group are Senator Francis Pangilinan and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) chief Ralph Recto. Arroyo however was mum when asked whether Villar and De Castro would run together or against each other in next year’s elections. “We are careful not to discuss it [in our meetings]. They have their own plans," he said. - GMANews.TV