TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Eeastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone on Monday said Lakas-Kampi-CMD members who defected to other parties had remained loyal to President Macapagal-Arroyo and were likely to junk the candidates of their new parties at the right time.

“I and my party mates in the local level are not leaving the Lakas-Kampi-CMD. We remain firmly loyal to President Arroyo,” he said in a text message.

Evardone, a key ally of Ms Arroyo in Eastern Visayas, also clarified that he did not say in an earlier interview that the ruling party would disintegrate.

What he meant, he said, was that infighting among members of the ruling party in the local level could become a problem for the Lakas-CMD-Kampi in the 2010 elections.

Another ally of the President in the region, Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina, resigned from the party on Oct. 21 to join the Nacionalista Party (NP).

Evardone said he, too, was invited by the NP but declined it. He said he had yet to make up his mind whether to run for congressman of the province.

The incumbent congressman, Rep. Teodulo Coquilla, is also a Lakas-Kampi-CMD member but Evardone’s political foe.

“I have yet to declare my candidacy for Congress although majority of the mayors, board members and barangay captains have endorsed me to run for Congress,” he said.

“I hope that the party leadership will listen to its leaders and members in the grassroots level in choosing official candidates. The rule of equity of the incumbent should apply if the incumbent is an asset,” Evardone said.