Lakas-Kampi-CMD sets nat’l meet on Nov. 11 or 12

The ruling party coalition on Tuesday announced that it has already set a date for its national convention where it will formally endorse Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as its candidate for the 2010 presidential elections. Presidential political affairs adviser Gabriel Claudio said the event is slated for November 11 or 12, either in Metro Manila or Cebu. Claudio, who is also the secretary general of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said the party will also pick Teodoro’s running mate and its senatorial line-up during the convention. He said the party decided to reset the convention dates so that local government officials in calamity-stricken areas could focus on relief and rehabilitation efforts after the devastation wrought by cyclones “Ondoy" and “Pepeng." “We are still synchronizing the schedules of everyone, lalo na iyong mga importanteng nandoon (especially those who really have to be there)," Claudio told reporters. Search for Gibo’s partner Teodoro was picked as the party’s standard bearer for 2010 at an executive committee meeting last month, winning handily against Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani Fernando. Members of the executive committee also endorsed Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno as Teodoro’s running mate. Last Friday, however, an executive committee meeting of the League of Provinces of the Philippines endorsed Senator Loren Legarda instead as Teodoro’s running mate. A member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Legarda said on Oct. 12 she would stick with her party in seeking a higher post. She did not say whether she was targeting the presidency or the vice-presidency. [See: Legarda sticking with NPC in 2010.] In Tuesday’s interview, Claudio admitted that even if Legarda has a following among members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, he does not expect her to bolt the NPC. He added that should Senator Francis Escudero, widely perceived as NPC’s would-be standard bearer, run for president in 2010, it is likely that Legarda would be his running mate. Senatorial bets Claudio likewise said that they have a “long list" of potential candidates for Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s senatorial slate. Among those being considered for the lineup are reelectionist Senator Ramon “Bong" Revilla Jr., Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. This is despite Enrile and Santiago’s inclusion in the list of possible senatorial bets under President Joseph Ejercito Estrada’s United Opposition. Other names being considered by the administration coalition for its senatorial lineup include Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III , Health secretary Francisco Duque III, Tourism secretary Joseph Durano, and Education secretary Jesli Lapus. Also in the list are Dangerous Drug Board chair Vicente Sotto III, Philippine Gaming Corp. chairman Ephraim Genuino, Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) head Jesus Arranza, Malacañang election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, and former Economic Planning secretary Ralph Recto. Claudio confirmed that former Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor is among those being considered for the senatorial slate. Defensor has not said what position he would seek in 2010, although there were speculations that he would run for Quezon City mayor under the Liberal Party, whose standard bearer Senator Benigno Aquino III is a leading presidential contender. – GMANews.TV