GENERAL SANTOS CITY?Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez yesterday dismissed what he said was the brouhaha over the failure of President Macapagal-Arroyo to raise the hand of her party?s standard-bearer, Gilbert ?Gibo? Teodoro Jr., saying the support of thousands of local party leaders was a strong enough sign of the President?s support for Teodoro.

?There was no need for PGMA (Ms Arroyo) to raise the hand of Gibo during the party proclamation,? said a text message from Dominguez, who is now national president of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition.

?The unanimous support shown by party leaders all over the country ... overshadowed the traditional raising of hand,? said the governor.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III was quoted as saying that raising hands during a convention was ?old style.?

?Some leaders will endorse somebody and after a while they will raise the hands of another candidate,? Bello was quoted as saying.

Dominguez said Teodoro deserved the support of Mindanaoans because of his commitment to improving their lives.

?Gibo?s decision to handpick young leaders from Mindanao is a strong indication of his commitment and belief for Mindanao,? he said.

?It?s time for Mindanao to play a key role in national politics,? he added.

?All of the 4,000 Lakas-Kampi-CMD members who attended Teodoro?s proclamation left the venue with a clear purpose and that is to help Gibo decisively win the 2010 elections,? he said.

By not raising Teodoro?s hands, said Dominguez in a press statement, Ms Arroyo was ?merely observing political protocol.?

In his speech during the convention, Teodoro rallied delegates to support his campaign to become president, telling them there was nothing to be ashamed of in being associated with the Arroyo administration.

Ms Arroyo?s popularity ratings have been consistently in the negative. Her spokespersons dismissed this, saying some of the negative perceptions about the President could be a result of some of her economic programs.