Nograles to Bayani: Anger hazardous to your health

House Speaker Prospero Nograles has this piece of advice to Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani Fernando who is apparently still sulking on his losing bid to become the standard bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party in the 2010 polls: anger can be hazardous to your health. "[I] am very sorry but please do not get angry. [It's] hazardous for your health," said Nograles, Lakas-Kampi-CMD executive vice chairman, in a text message. On Wednesday, Fernando lost out to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in what ended as a lopsided contest on who would most likely be the standard bearer of the administration in next year's elections. [See: Lakas-Kampi picks Teodoro as 2010 standard bearer] Prior to the announcement, Fernando left the room in the EDSA Shangri-La hotel in Mandaluyong City where the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national executive committee was holding its meeting. The MMDA chair had proposed that the voting be deferred that day and be conducted instead not by the committee members alone, but by all members of the party. His proposal was thumbed down.

On Thursday morning, Fernando was scheduled to have a press conference at a Quezon City hotel but the same was canceled "because of what happened the previous day," a source close to Fernando said. Nograles, however, said the party's selection process was "transparent," and pointed out that Fernando participated in it as well. "This happens to the best of politicians but must be accepted as a matter of fact," he said. The decision of the national executive committee would still be ratified during the still-to-be scheduled Lakas party convention. Fernando had earlier said that he may push through with his bid for the presidency as an independent candidate if Lakas-Kampi-CMD does not choose him as its standard bearer in the 2010 elections. - GMANews.TV