FVR nixes offer to be chair emeritus of Lakas-Kampi

Former President Fidel V. Ramos has declined to be the chairman emeritus of the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, his spokesperson said Tuesday. "I hereby decline the position of chair emeritus of Lakas-Kampi-CMD," Ramos said in his letter to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo dated August 17, 2009. Ed Malay, Ramos’ spokesperson, read the letter in an interview with GMANews.TV. It was the latest rebuke of an increasingly unpopular President Arroyo by her erstwhile allies, with Ramos implying that the merger of Lakas-CMD and Mrs. Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) was not valid. In his letter, Ramos said proper procedures – such as consultation with the national directorate of Lakas-CMD for its merger with Kampi – "were not done." Ramos said he has not "relinquished the position of chairman emeritus of Lakas-CMD," which he co-founded with former House Speaker and currently Pangasinan Rep. Jose De Venecia Jr. No consultations? Malacañang said that while it was “surprised and saddened" over Ramos’ refusal, Lakas-CMD had complied with all internal procedures for the merger with Kampi. “With due respect, we maintain that the political and legal bases and processes behind the merger, including those on due consultations, are cogent, firm, and valid," said presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, who is the current secretary-general of the merged parties. Claudio was senior deputy secretary-general of the Lakas-CMD. When the two parties merged on May 28, Ramos said the unification was done “with undue haste." He said consultations should be conducted and the constitution and by-laws of the new party modified “to better embody the ideology and tradition of both parties." (See Arroyo: Merger is proof of May 2010 elections ) Malacañang officials later said they were able to appease Ramos. (See: FVR appeased, congratulates Lakas-Kampi merger) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hearing the petition for registration of Lakas-Kampi-CMD. All political parties, party-list groups and newly-merged parties are required to apply for accreditation in order to participate in the 2010 elections. Last July 21, De Venecia asked the Comelec to nullify what he said was the “illegal" unification of Lakas-CMD and Kampi. The former Speaker said the merger was against the charter of Lakas-CMD since no national assembly was convened prior to the decision to merge with Kampi. Incumbent House Speaker Prospero Nograles, who sits as Lakas-Kampi-CMD's vice chairman, said De Venecia had no right to complain regarding the party's affairs as the former House leader is not a member in good standing. In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he would rather wait for the Comelec to decide on De Venecia’s petition than make a comment on Ramos’ decision. “I hope this will be clarified later on, but again I would prefer that we await the position of Comelec on the petition filed by Speaker De Venecia," Ermita told reporters. Arroyo-Ramos ties still intact Despite Ramos rebuke, Ermita said he does not think that the former president was breaking his ties with President Arroyo. “He (Ramos) is just coming up with his own position," Ermita said. Recently, Ramos had criticized Mrs. Arroyo over issues hounding her administration. Last month, Ramos spoke at a presidential aspirants' forum and said that those in power “cannot stay at the top forever" and should step down in time. Claudio immediately brushed off interpretations that Ramos was alluding to President Arroyo, who is accused of using her allies at the House of Representatives to amend the 1987 Constitution and tinker with term limits so she can stay in power. Last June, Ramos also urged Mrs. Arroyo to explicitly state that she would step down when her tenure ends in June 2010. (See: FVR to Arroyo: Bare plans for 2010) "With precious time fleeting, (President Arroyo) must now make a clear and positive declaration to our people that she, as President, will transform herself and the nation, and not anymore delude our people, in particular her select circle of Congressional cronies and family advisers, with titillations about (constituent assembly) and her future role as a Pampanga representative come 01 July 2010," Ramos said. -Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV