PILI, CAMARINES SUR, Philippines—Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr. has turned his back on the administration Lakas-CMD party, which he belonged to since being elected in 2004.

In a statement sent Tuesday, Villafuerte, the regional chair of Lakas in Bicol, said he decided to join the Nacionalista Party (NP) because the NP already had a lineup for governor and other elective positions in Camarines Sur.

Villafuerte was supposed to take his oath Wednesday before top NP officials, led by standard bearer Sen. Manuel Villar, but bad weather led to its postponement.

Ernesto Verdadero, the governor’s executive assistant, said a new schedule for the oath-taking ceremony would be announced.

A low pressure area brought heavy rains to Bicol Wednesday.

Verdadero said an advance party of the NP had arrived but the affair had to be postponed and reset to ensure the attendance of at least 30,000 supporters.

Villafuerte Jr. is the son of Rep. Luis R. Villafuerte Sr. who had been national president of Kampi, President Macapagal-Arroyo’s party, until his resignation in protest of the Lakas-Kampi merger.

The elder Villafuerte had said he would support the presidential candidacy of Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

Aside from Villafuerte Jr., heads of the League of Municipalities, Vice Mayors’ League, Councilors’ League and Association of Barangay Captains in Camarines Sur were to take their oaths as NP members.

Camarines Sur is the biggest among six provinces in Bicol in terms of area and population.

The defection of Villafuerte Jr. to the NP was seen as another blow into the candidacy of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who switched parties from the Nationalist People’s Coalition to the Lakas-Kampi to become the administration standard bearer.

Villafuerte Jr. was the last remaining member of the Lakas in Camarines Sur.

With his defection, no other big-name politician in the province now belongs to the Lakas.

The four Camarines Sur representatives and mayors of two cities in the province do not belong to Lakas-CMD.

Representatives Felix Alfelor (4th District) and Dato Arroyo (1st District) are with Kampi.

Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo has been a Liberal Party stalwart while Iriga City Mayor Madeleine Alfelor-Gazmen belongs to Kampi.

Camarines Sur has a population of 1.6 million, according to the 2007 census.

Villafuerte Sr. has refused to join the merged Lakas-Kampi party. Juan Escandor Jr. and Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon