MANILA, Philippines—The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) was shocked, saddened and disappointed by its presumptive standard-bearer’s abrupt departure, but announced that it was rallying behind its No. 2.

In a press conference held hours after Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero announced his resignation, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, son of tycoon and NPC founder Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, said the party was prepared to slug it out in the 2010 elections even with only its vice presidential candidate, Sen. Loren Legarda.

“The NPC is solidly behind Senator Loren for vice president. We will take the vice presidency with Loren as candidate,” Mark Cojuangco told reporters at the family compound in New Manila, Quezon City.

“Yes, it’s possible that NPC will just have a vice presidential candidate,” he said, adding that meetings would be held with NPC leaders and members to discuss the party’s plans.

No presidential bet

Legarda was present at the press conference, along with party chair Faustino Dy and spokesperson Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, and other NPC stalwarts.

Mark Cojuangco, who claimed to be still unaware of the reason behind Escudero’s resignation, said the NPC would not coalesce with other political parties with presidential aspirants: “There’s no possibility of that, no possibility. Our candidate for vice president is Loren Legarda. Loren Legarda will take the NPC to victory.”

He said the party had successfully contested previous national elections even without a presidential candidate, and that the absence of one would have no bearing on its “viability as a party.”

Possibilities

But earlier in the day, NPC spokesperson Gatchalian said the party consensus at a hastily called meeting after Escudero made his surprise announcement was that anything was possible.

Gatchalian said the NPC could hook up with another party and rally behind that party’s presidential candidate in 2010, or the majority of the NPC members could support Escudero if he decided to pursue the No. 1 post. (Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit, the NPC secretary general, said he would continue to back Escudero in his personal capacity.)

“We will hold consultations with our members. This will be a collective decision. Anything is possible,” Gatchalian said on the phone.

He said Danding Cojuangco had “given autonomy” to the NPC officers and members, and would “abide with what the party decides.”

So far, Gatchalian said, the only thing certain was that the NPC would actively participate in the 2010 elections.

“We will have a vice presidential candidate who will win and we will go solidly behind her senatorial slate,” he said.

Gatchalian also pointed out that Legarda had declared she was not comfortable running with a candidate of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD. “This will count in our decision,” he said.

Ready to lead

At the press conference, Legarda herself said she was ready to lead the party in next year’s elections.

“All I can say is the NPC is solid. The NPC will field a team in 2010. I will lead the NPC team as vice presidential candidate in 2010 and I will lead the NPC to victory,” she declared.

Legarda said she and the other party members were “saddened” by Escudero’s resignation but “respected” his decision.

“He is a friend and a colleague and I’m sure he supports our pro-country, pro-people, and pro-environment platform. We should speak in the coming days,” she said.

Mark Cojuangco said he wanted to speak with Escudero as soon as possible.

“I still have to find out the facts for myself. [I was] definitely surprised [by Escudero’s decision],” he said. “I want to talk to him. I want to know.”

Cojuangco denied reports that Escudero bolted the NPC because his father was planning to support another presidential aspirant:

“That’s absolutely not true. The NPC had only one presidential candidate and one vice presidential candidate. From the beginning, the choice was Loren-Chiz [or] Chiz-Loren. They decided among themselves who would be president and vice president and the party was behind both of them.

“Now that Chiz has left, we are without a presidential candidate. It’s a disappointment because of course we’ve invested time in the provinces spreading his name.”

Tuesday visit

NPC chair Dy, a former governor of Isabela, said Escudero dropped in on him at his house in Quezon City at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday and disclosed his decision to quit the party.

“He said he would leave it to the party to decide on its plans since he was also still going to decide on his own plans. He did not say if he was going to run or not; he said he would decide in a few days,” Dy said, adding:

“So I said I respected his decision ... [but] my blood pressure shot up to 142 over 108. I was really surprised.”

Dy quoted Escudero as saying that he was leaving the NPC because he did not want to be “dictated upon” by or to be “tied with” the party.

“Of course, you have to consult your party if you want to do something because your party mates also have interests. We’ve told him to announce [his intention to run for president],” Dy said.

“But [earlier], we did not sense that anything was wrong since our meetings continued... So I said to him, ‘Good luck ... whatever your plans are. I respect your decision.’ We parted cordially,” he added.

‘Why this?’

Cojuangco said he had expected Escudero to declare his intention to run for president at Bahay ng Alumni at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

He said he even had a House committee hearing on the San Roque Dam scheduled in the morning so that he could attend the UP event.

“We knew we had a schedule for 6 p.m. for Chiz to announce [his run for the presidency]. I believe he would make a good president, so why this?” Cojuangco said.

“I haven’t spoken to my father yet, so I don’t know what he’s thinking. I haven’t consulted our leaders in the provinces, so I don’t know what they’re thinking. That’s the situation now,” he said.

As it happened, hardly had Escudero completed his announcement to quit the NPC than Legarda was on the phone with Cojuangco, telling the latter that she was staying with the NPC as its vice presidential candidate.

Only on Friday, Legarda said she was planning to seek the vice presidency. But she did not identify the party and candidate she would run with—omissions that fueled speculation that she was negotiating with the standard-bearers of other parties.

Cojuangco took Legarda’s call while he was being interviewed by reporters in the House shortly after Escudero’s announcement.

He relayed her message to reporters: “Loren said she would stay with the NPC and she is our vice presidential candidate, as she has previously announced... She wants to assure us, the party; she wants to tell everybody that she’s still our vice presidential candidate and staying with the NPC.”

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, who was working with Escudero after bolting Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said in a phone interview that he was aware of the latter’s decision to quit the NPC.

Villafuerte said there would be “very positive developments” in Escudero’s career path but that he was not at liberty to disclose these.

From the provinces

Two mayors, the highest ranking NPC members in Bohol, said Escudero’s resignation was related to financial support.

“That’s the reality of politics,” Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim said.

According to Lim, Escudero had to deal with the logistical requirements of a presidential campaign.

“Obviously, the support that he got did not match his expectations,” Lim said.

Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco echoed Lim’s observation.

“[Escudero] must have realized by this time that if he doesn’t have what it takes to win, top financial honchos in our country will not support him,” Evasco said in a text message.

In Bacolod City, NPC stalwarts expressed surprise at Escudero’s resignation.

Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (4th district) said he was shocked to hear Escudero’s announcement because he did not know of any disagreement that could have triggered it.

“There are coalitions that the NPC can make if it has no standard-bearer,” Ferrer said, adding that he and other members would back whom the party chose to support.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he and his colleagues were for an NPC assembly “to find out what happened.”

“But one thing for sure is that we will remain loyal to our party,” he said.

When asked whom they would support, Leonardia said they would wait for the party decision because the situation remained fluid.

Negros Occidental Rep. Genaro Alvarez (6th district) said Escudero was well within his rights to leave the party.

“There are other ‘presidentiables’ whom the NPC can support,” Alvarez noted. With reports from Leila B. Salaverria in Manila; Carla P. Gomez and Chito Fuentes, Inquirer Visayas