Lakas building up ranks to find standard-bearer for 2010

MANILA, Philippines – The ruling Lakas-CMD party is building up its ranks to find a standard-bearer for the 2010 presidential elections, a top party official bared yesterday.

Former Surigao del Sur congressman Prospero Pichay, Lakas spokesman, told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo news forum, that the party remains open to political mergers but will still push for fielding a presidential candidate from its own ranks.

“With or without mergers, we’ll definitely have a standard-bearer from within Lakas,” he said.

Pichay, chairman of Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), said Lakas is now strengthening the party and recruiting qualified members.

He said Lakas would come up with a list of aspirants whom it considers as strong bets and assess who among them is capable of running the country and has a winning chance.

The prospective presidential standard-bearers of Lakas include Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando and Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte.

Lakas and the other pro-administration parties are reportedly convincing Vice President Noli de Castro to be the standard-bearer of the administration.

Fernando told reporters in Malasiqui, Pangasinan that 2010 is the right time for him to run for president.

He said if his presidential plans will not push through, he might just retire (from politics).

Fernando said he is not keen on the vice presidency. “I’m not going to train anymore as vice president.”

He said such post is a training ground for the presidency and for him to advance to the next step after that would make him too old for the presidential post.

A senatorial post is also not attractive to him. “It looks like it’s not my role in life,” he said.

He admitted that right now, it is still uncertain whom President Arroyo and the Lakas will bless as the next administration presidential bet in the 2010 elections.

Former President Joseph Estrada said that he is ready to be the opposition’s last option if the anti-administration parties fail to unite and field one strong presidential bet in the next polls.

Speaking before the weekly forum Express It At The Park in Tacloban City, Estrada said with several presidential aspirants from the opposition camp, he might be forced to run to unite the opposition.

The other presidential aspirants of the opposition include Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., Senators Mar Roxas, Panfilo Lacson and Loren Legarda, and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay.

Estrada said he would give way as long as there is only one presidential candidate. – With Miriam Desacada, Roberto Dejon, Eva Visperas, Zaralet Glenn Cruzat