QC council welcomes Belmonte’s inclusion in Lakas slate

The Quezon City Council has welcomed the decision of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats to include Mayor Feliciano Belmonte on its short list of candidates for the 2010 presidential race. Councilor Ariel Inton, the city’s majority leader, said it was about time for the country to have a president from the local government. "I believe that the next leader of this country should come from the local government who has provided good service to their constituents and the city as a whole," said Inton. The councilor was reacting to reports that Lakas was considering either Belmonte or Bayani Fernando, chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), to run for the said poll race. Inton said Lakas made a good decision in considering Belmonte and Fernando as among the party’s presidential candidates. He said Belmonte "is a cut above the rest" because the latter has experience on both local and national governance, particularly during his time as House speaker. Belmonte was also responsible in transforming the city into the country's richest city, with a combined cash and bank savings of P7 billion, according to Inton. Inton said, the opposition should pick Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as its standard bearer. He said Binay had an outstanding performance in running the country's business hub. Meanwhile, Robert Nacianceno, MMDA general manager, lauded Lakas’s consideration of Fernando. "Just like in the United States, President (George) Bush, is a former governor, and the chairman apart from executive expertise also has a strong political will." - GMANews.TV