Lakas, Kampi to merge in June

MANILA, Philippines – The two biggest pro-administration parties, the ruling Lakas and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), will be merged in June, Speaker Prospero Nograles said yesterday.

He said he wants the merger to be finished before Congress adjourns its first regular session on June 14.

“That is my target date. At the latest, we should be done with the merger before the next SONA (State of the Nation Address) of President Arroyo,” he said.

The President delivers her annual SONA at the opening of every regular session of Congress, which is set under the Constitution for the fourth Monday of July. The legislature is supposed to be in session for one year, except for some occasional breaks, until 30 days before the next regular session.

Nograles, who is Lakas president, expressed optimism that Lakas and Kampi would be able to finally merge despite having vainly tried to consolidate forces since 1998.

“The general situation is that it can be done, except in some areas. We cannot scrap the whole idea of a merger just because some members are against it,” he said.

He admitted that rival Lakas and Kampi members in several areas are against the merger plan.

“If we can achieve an 80-percent merger, then we will already be successful. We will just leave the 20-percent to arbitration,” he said.

He said leaders of the two parties would have to conduct nationwide consultations with their members before the merger.

Responding to questions, Nograles said searching for a strong presidential candidate would not be a problem for a merged Lakas-Kampi.

“If you have a strong political party, those presidential wannabes will seek you out because you cannot win without a party machinery. Popularity alone will not win an election. It has to be a combination of machinery and popularity,” he said.

He cited the case of President Arroyo, who chose to run for vice president under Lakas in 1998 despite her having formed Kampi with then senator Vicente Sotto III months earlier.

He said the President ran with then speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. as standard-bearer to take advantage of the Lakas national machinery.

Asked if they would consider Vice President Noli de Castro as their presidential candidate in 2010, Nograles said, “Yes, if our members will accept him.”

De Venecia, whom Nograles replaced as Speaker and Lakas president, is opposing the planned merger of Lakas and Kampi.

He said Mrs. Arroyo, the recognized leader of the two parties, favors the plan only when she faces a political crisis.