FACE OFF. The administration's two presidential aspirants slugged it out during Lakas-Kampi-CMD's national executive committee meeting. Teodoro emerged as the party officials' pick. Joe Galvez
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., 45, was selected on Wednesday to be the standard bearer in 2010 of the ruling Lakas-Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino)-CMD party, setting the stage for an underdog's uphill climb against more popular and better known opponents. Teodoro won by a landslide against Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Bayani Fernando, who walked out of the party’s national executive committee meeting after his motion to defer the voting was rejected. Reportedly a favorite nephew of tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr., Teodoro will have money and the administration's muscle behind him, including the party's vaunted network of local government membership. But the UP and Harvard law graduate will have to overcome the effects of being associated with the most unpopular Philippine president in recent history. Teodoro has fared dismally in recent surveys on most preferred presidential bets. In Pulse Asia’s latest survey, Teodoro ranked 13th among 15 prospective presidential candidates. Only 0.2 percent said they would vote for the defense chief if the elections were held now.
In announcing the decision, presidential political adviser and party secretary-general Gabriel Claudio noted that Teodoro and Fernando were both worthy presidential aspirants. "In the end, however, one man alone had to be chosen and the standard bearer to lead the party in the election for 2010…The candidate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD for the 2010 presidential elections, as endorsed by the party national executive committee is the honorable Gilberto Teodoro Jr.," Claudio said. Claudio said Teodoro’s selection is subject to the ratification by the party’s national convention. Radio dzBB’s Denver Trinidad quoted a party official as saying that the voting results were 44-5 in favor of Teodoro. The official declined to be named. House Speaker and party executive vice chairman Prospero Nograles said Teodoro “has the support of the biggest political party with about 3,000 elected officials nationwide."
GET TO KNOW GIBO The administration picked a wealthy and politically connected standard-bearer for the 2010 polls in the person of Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo" Teodoro, Jr. Teodoro was born on June 14, 1964 to an economically and politically influential family from Tarlac. His father is former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. His mother is former Rep. Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro, a member of Tarlac’s prominent Cojuangco clan. He is the nephew of the late President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino and the cousin of Liberal Party’s presidential bet Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III. He is also said to be the favorite nephew of former Marcos crony and business tycoon Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco, Jr. Exposed to politics at an early age, Teodoro was only a high school senior at Xavier School when he was elected as Kabataang Barangay president in Tarlac in 1980. He was part of Tarlac’s provincial council from 1980 to 1986. Teodoro graduated with a BS Commerce degree from the De La Salle University in Manila in 1984. He took up Law at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and topped the Philippine Bar Exams in 1989. He furthered his Law studies at the Harvard Law School in the United States. Continue Reading Sought for comment, Fernando’s camp remained mum. “I’m sorry, we have no statement at this time," said Gina Virtusio, Fernando’s close aide. Party vice president for membership and recruitment Prospero Pichay Jr. said Teodoro was selected by the committee through secret voting. “
Iyon ang napagkasunduan, secret balloting (We agreed that we will conduct secret balloting)," Pichay told reporters. Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno is also poised to become the administration party’s vice presidential bet as he is the only one who has expressed desire to run for the post, Claudio said. The party's announcement of a standard bearer shifts the limelight temporarily away from Senator Noynoy Aquino, who has benefited from a groundswell of support since the funeral of his mother, former president Cory Aquino, last month. Last week, the results of a new Social Weather Stations survey showed that among Luzon voters, Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III was the
top presidential choice in next year's national elections with a 50-percent vote. Those who had been constant frontrunners in surveys include Senator Manuel Villar Jr., former President Joseph Estrada, and Vice President Noli de Castro. Earlier in the day, De Castro said he would
not run under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD banner in 2010. "I’m not one of their candidates anymore," De Castro said in a chance interview with reporters at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City. Asked if he would now join other political parties, De Castro replied: "
Wala akong sinasabing ganoon (I’m not saying anything like that)." –
Sophia Dedace, Jam Sisante and Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV 
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