MANILA, Philippines – It’s down to two, as far as the choice for vice presidential candidate of the administration party Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) is concerned, a party official said on Tuesday.
The party will likely choose between Senator Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) or Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., said Ray Roquero, Lakas-Kampi-CMD deputy secretary general.
“It’s down to two,” Roquero told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview, adding that the party could firm up its decision Wednesday when the national executive committee meets in Malacańang.
Legarda is the prospective vice presidential candidate of the NPC, which was left without a presidential candidate after Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero resigned from the party.
Revilla, whose first six-year term in the Senate will expire in 2010, is an original member of Lakas-CMD.
Roquero said that talks were still ongoing between Lakas-Kampi and NPC for the possible team up of Legarda with the administration party’s standard-bearer, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
But among the homegrown members of Lakas-Kampi, Roquero said the actor-turned-politician has emerged as the top choice for vice president.
“Bong [Revilla] has assets that would complement the intelligence of Secretary Teodoro,” Roquero said.
He said Revilla’s “popularity” and “appeal to the masses” could help shore up the ratings of Teodoro, who has done poorly in the surveys.
Revilla also has experience in legislative work, being a senator for six years, and in the executive, as former governor of Cavite and former head of the Optical Media Board.
“His edge is he is a homegrown talent, he has many friends in the party and in the execom,” Roquero said.
Aside from choosing its vice presidential candidate, members of the Lakas-Kampi national executive committee will also hear the report of its arbitration committee dealing with the infighting for local positions. The senatorial slate of the merged party will also likely be firmed up, according to Reggie Velasco, party deputy secretary general.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD will hold its national convention on November 19 at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Sought for reaction on the NPC’s coalition with Lakas-Kampi, Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco and Valenzuela Representative Rex Gatchalian said the NPC was still considering all options in consultation with its members.
“We are still in the process of consulting our members and leaders. We still do not have any definitive plans as to how the party would proceed with the presidential derby,” said Gatchalian, NPC spokesman.
Cojuangco, an NPC member, said it might even be possible for the NPC to join the election without a presidential candidate.
