Vilma, Ralph defection a 'loss’ to Lakas-Kampi, party officials say
11/16/2009 | 10:03 PM
The departure from Lakas-Kampi-CMD of Batangas governor Vilma Santos and her husband, former Socioeconomic Planning secretary Ralph Recto, was a “loss" to the administration, officials of the ruling party said Monday.
According to Lakas-Kampi president and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the couple’s shift to the Liberal Party (LP) was a loss given Santos' clout in Batangas province.
For his part, Lakas-Kampi vice president Prospero Pichay said he was expecting more members to bolt the party aside from the couple, especially those candidates that would not be supported by the Lakas leadership.
Nonetheless, the administration would try to overcome the loss “through some of our arrangements," Ermita said.
Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio, who is also Presidential Adviser for Political Concerns, said he was surprised to learn that the couple joined LP. He stopped short of conceding that the defection would strengthen the position of LP’s standard bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III.
“Admittedly it’s a considerable loss, not necessarily organizationally, but having a popular political and entertainment person campaigning for another presidential candidate. Nobody can dispute the immense popularity (of Santos)," he said.
Claudio said Santos and Recto informed Lakas-Kampi beforehand that they were planning to join other parties, but he did not expect them to join LP because Recto was reportedly being considered by Senator Manuel Villar' Nacionalista Party for its senatorial slate.
Pichay said however that while the Recto couple’s departure was a loss to the party, the effect was small because Recto was not included in their senatorial line-up.
Pichay added that the couple’s departure would lessen internal conflicts that might arise from having multiple candidates vying for the gubernatorial post in Batangas since Santos is a reelectionist.
Not a loss to Gibo
Like Pichay, administration standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also belittled the impact of the couple’s decision on his candidacy.
“It's a loss if actually they were supporting me from the start, but I really don’t know whether that's true or not," he said, adding that it would be unlikely for him to get a solid vote from his former colleagues in the Cabinet.
Instead of worrying, Teodoro said the best thing that Lakas-Kampi could do was to “get our teams together" in anticipating the negative impact that defections may inflict on the party. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
According to Lakas-Kampi president and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the couple’s shift to the Liberal Party (LP) was a loss given Santos' clout in Batangas province.
For his part, Lakas-Kampi vice president Prospero Pichay said he was expecting more members to bolt the party aside from the couple, especially those candidates that would not be supported by the Lakas leadership.
Nonetheless, the administration would try to overcome the loss “through some of our arrangements," Ermita said.
Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio, who is also Presidential Adviser for Political Concerns, said he was surprised to learn that the couple joined LP. He stopped short of conceding that the defection would strengthen the position of LP’s standard bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III.
“Admittedly it’s a considerable loss, not necessarily organizationally, but having a popular political and entertainment person campaigning for another presidential candidate. Nobody can dispute the immense popularity (of Santos)," he said.
Claudio said Santos and Recto informed Lakas-Kampi beforehand that they were planning to join other parties, but he did not expect them to join LP because Recto was reportedly being considered by Senator Manuel Villar' Nacionalista Party for its senatorial slate.
Pichay said however that while the Recto couple’s departure was a loss to the party, the effect was small because Recto was not included in their senatorial line-up.
Pichay added that the couple’s departure would lessen internal conflicts that might arise from having multiple candidates vying for the gubernatorial post in Batangas since Santos is a reelectionist.
Not a loss to Gibo
Like Pichay, administration standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also belittled the impact of the couple’s decision on his candidacy.
“It's a loss if actually they were supporting me from the start, but I really don’t know whether that's true or not," he said, adding that it would be unlikely for him to get a solid vote from his former colleagues in the Cabinet.
Instead of worrying, Teodoro said the best thing that Lakas-Kampi could do was to “get our teams together" in anticipating the negative impact that defections may inflict on the party. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
