NPC formalizes support for Legarda but not for Villar

The Nationalist People's Coalition will not carry any presidential bet in the 2010 polls, not even Senator Manuel Villar Jr. who is the running-mate of Senator Loren Legarda, the party's vice presidential bet. The NPC on Monday evening formalized its support for the vice presidential bid of Legarda, with 16 members nominating her to be their official bet in the national elections next year, but stopped short of extending that support to Villar. The party also endorsed and supported the senatorial bids of two NPC members, former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman and Senator Vicente 'Tito' Sotto and Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza. At least 300 NPC members attended the party’s meeting and Christmas party held at their Quezon City clubhouse. Aside from Legarda and Sotto, among those present were Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, son of NPC founder and chairman emeritus Eduardo Cojuangco; Valenzuela Rep. Rexlon Gatchalian, NPC spokesman; Frisco San Juan, NPC president; Rep. Jack Duavit, NPC secretary general; Jolo Vice Governor Nur Anna "Lady Ann" Sahidulla; Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol; new member Gina de Venecia; and Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero, father of NPC former member Senator Francis Escudero. In an interview, Rep. Mark Cojuangco said the NPC is a very loose party such that Legarda became its vice presidential bet without any formal nomination. "So we thought that we'd formalize it tonight and nakita nyo naman yung (you certainly saw the) overwhelming support ng mga members namin (of our members) so I'm very confident that she would do very well and she will win the vice presidency," he said. Asked if the party would also support the presidential bid of Villar, Cojuangco said they have not discussed that yet but as far as the NPC is concerned they will have no presidential candidate. "We are not enforcing any particular presidential candidate (on our members). The party has no position as far as presidential candidate is concerned," he said. "The party had its presidential candidate. What happened to the presidential candidate already happened, nangyari na yung nangyari, so we are out of the presidential race. We have already made our position on presidential bet, as far as we are concerned, we have already done our part as far as the presidency is concerned. Tapos na kami dun (We’re finished with that matter) for this election," he explained. Cojuangco was obviously referring to the younger Escudero, who bolted the party last month in his failed attempt to launch an independent campaign for the presidency. Escudero later withdrew his presidential bid, but made no obvious move to patch up his differences with the NPC leadership. "We are not going to be involved in the presidential contest. Wala kaming dadalhin sa presidential (We won’t carry any presidential candidate), but it's not na kanya kanya (any longer to each his own)," Cojuangco said. Cojuangco added that they will instead focus their resources and effort on Legarda, Sotto, Plaza and their local and congressional candidates. San Juan, the party president, even exhorted their members "to work, walk the streets if necessary, knock on the door of friends and talk to all passersby" in order to ensure the victory of their candidates particularly their bets in the national posts. Legarda, in a separate interview, said she and Villar already have an understanding about the peculiar form of inter-party support. "Meron kaming alyansa sa plataporma pero hindi koalisyon ng partido. Nagkakaintindihan na kami nun (We have an alliance of platforms but not a party coalition. We have an understanding about that)," the senator said. She added that NP will not adopt Sotto and Plaza in its senatorial slate. - Amita O. Legaspi/JV, GMANews.TV