FVR nixes Lakas-Kampi chair emeritus post anew – Palace

Former President Fidel Ramos has rejected anew the offer to become chairman emeritus of the merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, a Malacañang official said on Friday. In a statement, presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio said they were told by Ramos on Thursday that he would rather await for the result of the petition filed by former Lakas-CMD chair Jose de Venecia's, which sought to nullify Lakas’ merger with Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino or Kampi, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s party. “He said let’s wait for the outcome of the case. That’s good enough for us," Claudio said, adding what was important was that Ramos did not join De Venecia in blocking the merger. Claudio remained confident that the former leader would stay with the administration coalition. “I believe magkatugma ang adhikain at alituntunin nina President Arroyo at President Ramos ( I believe that President Arroyo’s goals are compatible with that of President Ramos). There are more ties that bind them than those that set them apart," he said. Last week, Ramos's spokesman Ed Malay said the former president wrote Mrs. Arroyo to inform her that he was rejecting the position of Lakas-Kampi-CMD chair emeritus. (See: FVR refuses to be Lakas-Kampi chair emeritus) In his letter, Ramos said proper procedures – such as consultations with the national directorate of Lakas-CMD for its merger with Kampi – "were not done." But Ramos clarified that he has not "relinquished the position of chairman emeritus of Lakas-CMD," which he co-founded with De Venecia. Last July 21, De Venecia asked the Commission on Elections to nullify what he said was the “illegal" unification of Lakas-CMD and Kampi. (See: JDV wants Lakas-Kampi merger nullified) De Venecia, who quit his post as Lakas president after a falling-out with the Arroyo administration, said the merger was against the charter of Lakas-CMD because no national assembly was convened prior to the party’s merging with Kampi. The Comelec has set September 17 as the first and only day that the poll body will be hearing De Venecia’s complaint. "I limited it (the hearing) to one day because we want to hasten the resolution of this case," Comelec commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer earlier told GMANews.TV. The Comelec has vowed to resolve the petition before November 20, the start of the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for the May 2010 elections. The period for the filing of COCs will run for 10 days until November 30. - GMANews.TV