Quezon City, Caloocan bets bolt Lakas for LP

MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD official and Quezon City Mayor Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. and his daughter, Joy, will join the Liberal Party today along with Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, LP’s campaign manager Florencio “Butch” Abad announced yesterday.

Belmonte was executive vice president for external affairs of the administration party. He will be LP’s bet for Quezon City congressman while his daughter will be the running mate of Bautista, who will run for mayor.

Belmonte served as chairman of the Government Service Insurance System during the time of the late President Corazon Aquino, mother of LP standard-bearer, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. The oathtaking is set today in Quezon City, the LP said.

On Monday, former senator Ralph Recto and his wife, Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, also of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, announced they will support the candidacy of Aquino and his running mate, Sen. Manuel Roxas II.

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri is also set to take his oath today as the LP’s official mayoral candidate. He is set to make a bid for his third consecutive term.

Echiverri resigned from the ruling administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, where he had been the local party chairman of Lakas for a number of years, claiming he decided to support the Aquino-Roxas tandem because he believes in the LP’s “platform of reform” and the party’s standard-bearer.

“Senator Noynoy has within him the prerequisites of a very good leader - compassionate, trustworthy and the ability to inspire and give hope - and I am after that,” Echiverri said.

 “I believe that Senator Noynoy is what our nation urgently needs, not only does he possess sipag, tiyaga and talino (industriousness, persistence, and intelligence) but he is a true leader with a heart and a genuine commitment to change and reformation,” he added.

Echiverri said Aquino could even unite the country toward progress if given the chance to be elected president. He said it has always been in Aquino’s “genes” to become a great leader.

“His parents, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino were, for most of us Filipinos, considered heroes of the people, defenders of Philippine democracy and bringer of change and reformation,” he said.

Echiverri said he tendered his resignation before Secretary Gabriel Claudio, one of the stalwarts of Lakas.   – With Pete Laude