Lakas originals supporting Ebdane, supporter claims

A number of original members of the Lakas Christian-Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party is throwing their support to the presidential bid of former Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane. This was according to former executive secretary Ruben Torres, who is now serving as Ebdane's campaign manager. He said some 50 members of the party met with Ebdane at the Diamond Hotel in Manila recently to discuss the presidential aspirant's platforms. Torres said these supporters include incumbent and former cabinet secretaries, congressmen, governors, mayors and town officials. “While the administration was doing their show, we sat down with the original Lakas members. No shows, just a plain explanation of the platform and people were convinced and now are supporting secretary Ebdane," Torres said. After the dialogue, they mapped out a manifesto of support for the candidacy of Ebdane, who will be running under the Philippine Labor and Peasant Party (formerly Lapiang Manggagawa). PLPP president Jose Malvar Villegas, another Lakas original, said administration party senatorial bet Silvestre Bello III, a Lakas original, would be meeting with them over the candidacy of Ebdane. He said they are expecting more candidates from the administration and the opposition to jump ship to them. “We expect more people to contact us due to the snowballing support for secretary Ebdane which other candidates are trying to downplay," Villegas said. Torres said they would be meeting with former House speaker and Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia to tackle the agenda of Lakas originals. De Venecia, who co-founded Lakas-CMD with former President Fidel Ramos, has been a very vocal critic of the party's merger with Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi). The merged group is fielding former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as standard-bearer in next year's polls. Ebdane had earlier stated that he would be seeking Ramos' endorsement in his bid for the highest post in the land. Among those present during the meeting were Ramos' Ed Santos, former Tourism secretary Ed Pilapil, former Commission on Audit (COA) administrator David Forbin, incumbent Cong. Ed Zialcita, and former Transportation Undersecretary Hilario Battung Jr. Ebdane is set to file his certificate of candidacy (COC), as well as name his running mate, on November 29. - GMANews.TV