Lakas-CMD stalwarts in Batanes bolt party

BASCO, Batanes — The ruling Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) suffered a big blow in its bid to regain control of the political leadership here following the resignation the other day of its provincial chairman, six municipal chairmen and all its candidates in the May 10 elections.

Former governor Telesforo Castillejos, Lakas-CMD provincial chairman, said the decision to bolt the administration party was the consensus of all his fellow partymates following repeated efforts by party higher-ups to ease him out of the congressional race, to give way to a non-party member.

Castillejos, who until lately was a member of the Lakas-CMD national directorate, has resisted administration overtures for him to give way to Henedina Razon Abad, wife of outgoing Rep. Florencio "Butch" Abad, the Liberal Party’s national president.

Last Jan. 9, Castillejos said he was summoned to Malacañang and was offered a directorship in one of three government corporations of his choice if he would withdraw his candidacy.

Last month, Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the government’s chief peace negotiator and Lakas-CMD’s Cagayan Valley chairman, came here to again convince Castillejos to withdraw from the congressional race.

Castillejos, who served as governor from 1988 to 1998, said Bello had a document supposedly signed by President Arroyo, appointing him secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways if he would back out of the congressional polls.

In that meeting, Castillejos again declined the offer, which he said "was an attempt to sacrifice me, a dyed-in-the-wool Lakas-CMD member, in favor of a virtual unknown in the province, who has not done anything for the party and the province, except to coalesce with the administration party every election time."

Castillejos said his lawyers in Manila are now finalizing their affiliation papers with the opposition Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

"Fernando Poe Jr. will come here very soon to personally administer our oath of membership with his party," he said.

With all 48 municipal, five district and three provincial candidates joining PMP, only Ivana municipal councilor Josefa Aguto, whose son Jenhis works at Malacanang, is left to carry the torch for the embattled Lakas-CMD.

Although the LP is in coalition with the administration party, all its candidates in the provincial and municipal levels, only indicated in their certificates of candidacy their political party simply as "Liberal Party" and not "Lakas-CMD-Liberal Party."

Asked to comment on the sudden decision of his erstwhile political nemesis, Gov. Vicente Gato said, "The LP has nothing to do with the alleged offers for Castillejos to give way to our congressional candidate, Dina Abad."

"The Lakas-CMD hierarchy is in the best position to determine who to support in the congressional race here," Gato said.