Lakas plays coy but NP open to Chiz

MANILA, Philippines—Top officials of the ruling party are of two minds over the idea of taking Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as its vice presidential candidate in the May 2010 elections.

“No, we can’t make that offer. He already said he will run only with the opposition,” Gabriel Claudio, secretary general of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said of Escudero in a text message.

Claudio, who advises President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on political matters, said the party would pick the running mate of its standard-bearer, Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, only from the ranks of the administration party or coalition.

Teodoro himself hinted of realignments as a result of Escudero’s surprise move.

Pressed to elaborate, Teodoro said he was open to running with Escudero in 2010 because they were both ex-members of the party founded by his uncle, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco.

But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the party president, did not reject outright a Teodoro-Escudero tandem despite the latter’s critical stance vis-à-vis the administration.

“Let’s just say that in politics, nothing is impossible. That could very well happen,” Ermita said of the possible tandem.

He said political differences with Escudero should not stand in the way, and cited the example of the recent US elections.

“In the United States, for example, during the primary, there were unsavory statements made by one against the other, but when the final thing came up, when the primary was being decided, somebody was taken as part of the tandem, and both won together,” Ermita said.

But Ermita also said he was unaware of any party plan to offer the vice presidential slot to Escudero.

He said the political alignments would be worth watching in the coming weeks in view of Escudero’s resignation from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Teodoro open

But Teodoro said that this was a matter that could only be decided by the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, and that as of now, he was not aware of talks between the ruling party and Escudero’s camp.

“Let’s see if that happens … All options are possible because what is important is uniting the nation,” Teodoro told reporters on the sidelines of the monthly meeting of the Mandaluyong Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

“I am not saying that it will happen, but the party is not on blinders,” he said, adding that cross-party negotiations were taking place and alliances could be formed even at the last minute.

Linking up with other parties

According to Teodoro, what is certain is the continuing link-up between the NPC and the Lakas coalition and other members of the Liberal Party at the Congress level.

“I heard that many members want to maintain that and their support for the administration,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Teodoro said Escudero’s resignation from the NPC was a step in a journey that the senator might have seriously studied.

He said Escudero, and even vice presidential candidate Sen. Loren Legarda, had the liberty of “being bold” because “win or lose, they will still serve as senators.”

Asked how the NPC’s loss of a standard-bearer would shore up his own candidacy, Teodoro said: “It’s too early to tell. The situation is very fluid. Realignments are very, very possible.

“But of course, there is an advantage if you are backed by an institutional party.”

Holding empty bag

But Prospero Pichay, Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president for membership and accreditation, expressed doubt that the party would adopt Escudero, who, he said, ran a senatorial campaign in 2007 taking potshots at Ms Arroyo.

“He can’t be with us. He’s been [accusing] us of stealing and cheating,” Pichay, a former representative of Surigao del Sur, said in a phone interview.

Pichay predicted that Escudero would end up holding an empty bag after rejecting previous offers from some presidential aspirants to be their running mate.

“I think he has no more options as vice president. Erap has a VP; Noynoy has a VP. In the case of Villar, he spoke too soon and said Villar is unacceptable to him,” Pichay said, referring to ousted President Joseph Estrada and Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Villar Jr., respectively.

“His only option is to run for president or vice president as an independent,” Pichay added.

Talks with Villar

But Escudero may end up running alongside Villar, the standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party (NP).

Talks are ongoing for Escudero to be Villar’s running mate, according to an NP official who asked not to be named for lack of authority to discuss the matter publicly.

The official said the negotiations were being coursed through Escudero’s father, Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero, and House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora.

Zamora, a supporter of Villar, Wednesday confirmed the discussions, saying these began months ago.

“We were serious. We were not joking,” Zamora told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone, referring to his talks with the elder Escudero who is also a member of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives.

Zamora said “nothing turned out” of the talks then, mainly because Escudero had made it clear that he would run only for president.

But another party official Wednesday indicated that the discussions were alive again, especially following Escudero’s decision to bolt the NPC.

“We have always been saying that he would make a good vice presidential candidate for Senator Villar despite his past pronouncement that he would not run with him,” NP spokesperson Gilbert Remulla said of Escudero.

“We still consider him,” Remulla said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer