Rift in ruling coalition grows; Lakas bets jump

A growing rift within the ruling Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats-Kabalikat ng Mamayang Pilipino has widened as a number of Lakas-CMD members scramble to join President Arroyo’s Kampi party. Members of the coalition are also elbowing each other for the President’s endorsement in the coming elections. Kampi made a show of force on Tuesday as it swore in 200 new members, including Batangas Gov. Armand Sanchez, a member of the Liberal Party-Atienza wing, at the Kampi headquarter in Makati City. Sanchez’s move puts him in a contest with Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos for the ruling coalition’s endorsement as official candidate for the gubernatorial race in Batangas. Santos on Monday said she would run, preferably for governor, in May. Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, Lakas president, refused to comment about the perceived stampede by Lakas-CMD members to join Kampi. “I don’t want to speak about this because we’re here to wage a successful a national campaign for the country, not for ourselves. That’s selfish," he said. Last month, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia bolted Lakas and sought an alliance with Kampi, while Bulacan Gov. Josie dela Cruz also left Lakas and sought Kampi’s endorsement. Kampi officials seemed to be enjoying the turn of events. Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Kampi’s former president, said they wanted to make Kampi the biggest in the country. Luis Villafuerte, Kampi’s newly installed president, declared last month his party is no longer willing to be a “junior partner" of Lakas, adding that it “should be treated pari passu" — equally — in the 14th Congress. In the 1998 presidential election, Kampi coalesced with Lakas-CMD after Mrs Arroyo agreed to be de Venecia’s running mate. Kampi has now 80 representatives in Congress, 17 incumbent governors and 650 mayors. The Lakas-CMD coalition, which was established in December 1991 for the presidential bid of Fidel Ramos, is the country’s biggest political grouping. It has 84 representatives in Congress, 46 governors, 62 city mayors, 948 municipal mayors, and as many vice governors and vice mayors. The coalition is fielding some 10,000 candidates in the national and local elections in May. Puno on Tuesday told GMA 7’s 24 Oras that Kampi is planning to ask the Commission on Elections to declare the party the dominant administration party. The ruling coalition last month created an arbitration committee to resolve disputes in areas where members of the coalition eye the same elective positions. But in Pampanga Kampi has reportedly already closed the door on Lakas-CMD. Pampanga Rep. Reynaldo Aquino said the rift between re-electionist Gov. Mark Lapid of Lakas and Lilia Pineda of Kampi caused “disunity" among Mrs Arroyo’s allies in the province. Mrs. Arroyo has tapped Sen. Lapid, Mark’s father, to run against incumbent Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, president of the United Opposition and vocal critic of the Arroyo administration. Pineda, wife of alleged gambling lord Rodolfo, is a townmate and close friend of Mrs Arroyo. - AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV