Noli decides to just finish term, not seek higher office

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Noli de Castro has opted to just finish his term and not seek higher office in May despite having consistently landed among the top choices for president in surveys late last year.

Even before he announced on Sept. 16 that he would not join the administration party and seek the presidency, De Castro had always emphasized that if he ran for president in 2010 it would be a personal decision and not because he was forced to, saying “it’s hard if you allow them to push you because you know they have their own reasons.”

De Castro announced his decision not to join Lakas-Kampi-CMD as he closed the door on President Arroyo’s desire to “anoint” him as the administration standard-bearer in the May 2010 election.

He first announced his decision not to join or run under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD during a chance interview after speaking at the Mining Philippines 2009 at Sofitel Hotel.

“I’m not one of their candidates anymore. That’s it,” De Castro said.

De Castro had informed Lakas-Kampi-CMD secretary-general Gabriel Claudio about his decision not to join the party, but did not “directly” tell the President about his decision, only giving her a “hint” that they would not be together in one party.

At the launching of Philippine Urban Consortium and National Urban Development and Housing Framework in August, the Vice President expressed his readiness to join the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD and seek the presidency after almost six years of “on the job training” (OJT) by serving as the second highest elected official.

He confirmed talks between him and the President for his entry and running for president under the administration party.

The President for the first time presided over the meeting of Lakas-Kampi-CMD in October that was attended by key officials of the national executive committee in Malacañang to tackle and fast-track the selection of the administration’s standard-bearer.

The ruling party was looking to field De Castro, a non-party member, as its standard-bearer in the 2010 presidential elections.

A ranking party official said the leaders voiced the consensus during the meeting that De Castro was the most viable administration standard-bearer given the favorable ratings of opposition presidential wannabes.

De Castro said he does not believe that Mrs. Arroyo’s anointment is a “kiss of death.”

He admitted popularity and qualifications are not enough to ensure a candidate’s victory because the strong backing of a political party is also essential.

De Castro may have been coy about his intentions in 2010, but he already had a blueprint for nation building showing his readiness for governance framework should he decide to run for the presidency and his platform of government.

He slid in surveys but he believed that being in the top choices as the next president was a recognition that he has been performing in government.

The Vice President believed that the elections next year will push through, saying there is no reason for it not to.

He underscored that holding credible elections as scheduled with no term extensions for elected officials would safeguard democracy in the Philippines.

De Castro said the survival of democracy in the country is anchored on the next set of duly elected leaders who will serve the people under the constitutionally mandated presidential form of government.

While he supports the convening of constitutional convention (con-con) to amend the Constitution, De Castro explained that it should not happen before the May 2010 election.

Constitutional amendments, he said, should begin a year after the new President is elected.

VP lashes at lawmaker

De Castro hit back at an ally of President Arroyo, who claimed he footed a $15,000-dinner bill on the Arroyos’ wedding anniversary at Bobby Vans Steakhouse in New York, calling the House member a “sipsip” and “KSP” (kulang sa pansin) who wanted to endear himself to the chief executive by using the second highest official of the country.

“Ang masasabi ko lang kung magsisipsip siya kay Pangulong Gloria hwag niya ako gamitin. Dumiretso na lang siya ng sipsip (Don’t use me to ingratiate yourself with the President; go to her directly),”

 De Castro said during his weekly radio program “Para Sa Iyo Bayan” last Dec. 5 when asked to comment on Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez’s belittling his capacity to succeed Arroyo if she listens to calls for her to resign to level the playing field in the congressional elections in Pampanga.

The Vice President said he did not know Suarez personally but he had read about the lawmaker’s house in North Forbes Park that was foreclosed by Metrobank.

Suarez said that raising the prospect of De Castro taking over the government should convince former President Fidel V. Ramos to change his mind about calling for her resignation because the nation would be in better hands if Mrs. Arroyo stays in office while campaigning for representative of her district in Pampanga.

The Vice President believed the President will not allow herself to be used in the P1 billion loan Suarez applied in the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) reportedly to put up a power plant in his province, using coconut waste (husks, shells, dry leaves) as fuel.

As the Vice President, De Castro said he has a constitutional duty that he swore to perform and his “duty remains whether it is recession or not.”

Return to broadcasting

As candidates for the May 2010 elections made noise when they filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) on the last day of filing on Dec. 1, De Castro put an end to speculations that he might still consider running for an elective position.

De Castro is ready to return to private life but he hinted that he may resume his career in broadcasting.

In accepting his Excellence in Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award in the 23rd Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Television last year, the Vice President recalled the first ever Best Male Newscaster Award he received from the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) 22 years ago from the PMPC could be a sign that he should go back to radio and TV.

The Vice President also strongly condemned the murder of 57 people mostly journalists in Maguindanao on Nov. 23.

The Vice President stressed “the perpetrators, no matter what power or political influence they wield, should be brought to justice.”

De Castro called for the holding of an early election in Maguindanao and for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to closely supervise the conduct of elections and assure peaceful and orderly voting in the province with the help of the military and the police.

De Castro urged Malacañang to order the police and military to cut the warlords’ power and dismantle their private armies that reportedly terrorize communities in Mindanao.

The Vice President was dismayed with police investigation, saying that “police officers or individuals with personal knowledge of the brutal killings must join hands with the full force of the State in hot pursuit to immediately effect the arrest of the perpetrators regardless of their political influence because no one is above the law.”

De Castro added that the Maguindanao killings exposed another nefarious truth about the existence of warlordism. 

OFWs

At the 2009 Model OFW Family of the Year Award in Pasay City, De Castro assured OFWs and their families that he will continue to promote and protect their welfare even after his term as Vice President.

De Castro, presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), pushed his proposal in April citing the “urgency” in assigning a Filipino naval attache in the Anti-Piracy Task Force who will also help monitor the condition of Filipino seamen held hostage by the pirates and immediately coordinate assistance to the seafarers.

He saw the urgency for the immediate appointment of a Filipino naval attaché in the Anti-Piracy Task Force, which is under the command of the United States Seventh Fleet in Manama Bahrain, not only to report instances of piracy but as well to monitor the condition of and coordinate help for the vessels with Filipino crew, passing through the Gulf of Aden.

The Vice President’s recommendation to then Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro received support from Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and Labor Secretary Marianito Roque.

De Castro also said that the assignment of a naval attaché in the US 7th Fleet also aims to establish a command that will provide guidance and safety instructions to vessels with Filipino crewmembers passing the danger zone of the Gulf of Aden.

In July, the government finally designated Philippine Navy officer to act as naval liaison to the multinational task force conducting maritime security and anti-piracy operations throughout the region.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced the appointment of a naval liaison to work with the Combined Maritime Forces in Manama, Bahrain which was an initiative of De Castro as the Philippines’ contribution to international efforts to stem piracy.

Housing programs

In September, De Castro, Housing and Urban Development Council (HUDCC) chair, said he would not apologize for members of a group of urban poor who interrupted his speech in Los Baños, Laguna.

“Bakit ako magso-sorry? Sila ang dapat mag-sorry sa akin dahil binastos nila ako. Pwede naman nila akong kausapin,” De Castro said in his weekly radio program “Para sa Iyo Bayan.”

De Castro distributed certificates of lot allocation (CELAs) to beneficiaries of Proclamations 48 and 550 in Los Baños. Proclamations 48 and 550 provide for the declaration of idle properties of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) and portions of Camp El Ridge Military Reservation for mass housing purposes. The event was also part of the 394th foundation anniversary of Los Baños.

But in the middle of his speech, De Castro was interrupted by protesters belonging to the Kalipunang Damayan ng Mahihirap (Kadamay) who called government programs like the South Rail Project as “anti-poor” that relocated many squatter families.

In his speech, De Castro said it is important for him to continue the reforms that he initiated in the national housing program.

He said some poor beneficiaries are abusing the government housing program by their failure to pay their housing loans.

The Vice President said the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) will face this year (2010) the challenges in the implementation of its new charter under Republic Act 9679 or the Home Development Mutual Fund Law of 2009.

“We need to implement universal coverage. Beginning next year, all workers earning P1,000 and above are already covered by the new law. And I believe this is going to be a major challenge – the increase in membership contribution rates, which needs to be done to further improve the delivery of services to our members,” De Castro said during the 29th anniversary of Pag-IBIG Fund.

RA 9679 or the Home Development Mutual Fund Law of 2009 was enacted into law last July.

For the first 10 months of 2009, the Vice President said Pag-IBIG has assisted over 1.5 million members by extending P29.0 billion in Multi-Purpose loans. As of Dec. 7, 2009, the Fund has also approved P11.67 billion in calamity loans serving almost 700,000 members, up by a substantial 174 percent over last year’s figure of P4.26 billion, making the Fund the biggest calamity loan provider in the country.

In the area of housing, Pag-IBIG has released nearly P37 billion worth of housing loans to more than 61,000 members. The figure for 2009 may reach as high as P44.17 billion benefiting over 73,000 borrowers. This is the highest total loan amount and the biggest number of borrowers for a single year in the Fund’s entire history.

The Vice President also thanked and paid tribute to the lawmakers who were instrumental in the passage of the new HDMF law that preserves Pag-IBIG’s original mandate to invest 70 percent of its funds to housing.