By Jefferson Antiporda, Francis Earl A. Cueto and Rhadz B. Barcia(The Manila Times)
Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/15782-lakas-expects-defectors-from-rival-camps
THINGS are looking up for former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro because stalwarts from other political parties are reportedly planning to jump ship and support the ruling party’s standard-bearer in the May 10 elections.
According to Reggie Velasco, the deputy secretary general of Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), more politicians from the rival parties have signified their intention to support Teodoro, whom they said is the most qualified among the candidates seeking to succeed President Gloria Arroyo.
Velasco said things are still under negotiations and that they could not disclose any details yet on the transfer of the politicians to the ruling party. What is sure, according to him, is that there are politicians who have sent feelers to defect to the camp of Teodoro.
Meanwhile, Rep. Amelita Villarosa of Occidental Mindoro, the Lakas-Kampi CMD chairman, has announced that Rep. George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental, who belongs to the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), would be supporting the bid of the former Defense secretary but that Arnaiz will stay with his current party.
Villarosa made the disclosure during a meeting at the Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu City on Tuesday night that was attended by at least 41 governors and gubernatorial candidates, who all reaffirmed their support for Teodoro.
Also present during the meeting was Rep. Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu province, who belied local media reports that he was no longer supporting Teodoro and has switched allegiance to a rival candidate.
“We are kumpadre [buddies], so kumpadre we will be, till the end. Gibo is the most qualified to be our next president. What we need is a president who will look forward, not backward,” he said.
Teodoro said that he never doubted Salimbangon despite stories published in the local media that the Cebu congressman was supporting another candidate.
Teodoro volunteers
Various volunteer groups supporting Teodoro have vowed to work harder to ensure clean and honest elections on May 10.
“It is important that voters remain vigilant of their votes and to protect their votes,” said Evelyn Kilayko, chairman of Mahal Ko Bayan Ko.
“It is important for us volunteers to know exactly what we can do, to clinch the victory of our candidate, Gibo Teodoro, without any fears regarding the safety of our votes,” said Rose Imperial of Friends of Ramos for Teodoro (FORT).
More than 200 volunteers attended the seminar on Tuesday at the Gibo Volunteer Center in Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City (metro Manila).
In Legazpi City, Albay, a volunteer movement has emerged to support the bid of Teodoro, apparently a welcome development given the defection of some ruling party members to the opposition, particularly Gov. Jose “Joey” Salceda of Albay. The volunteer movement is spearheaded by Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City.
Teodoro is “the best preference of the electorate from almost all sectors of society. The youth and young professionals are rallying behind him [Teodoro] because of his magnificent track record and intellectual capabilities as a young leader. Gibo is now the underdog with great capabilities [and] because of this, he won over Sen. [Francis] “Chiz” Escudero’s millions of political supporters,” Rosal said.
He added that while Teodoro’s ranking in the surveys was not that high, online polls in almost all the universities in the country showed the administration bet leading the other candidates.
Villar appeals
With less than three weeks before the May 10 polls, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. urged Filipino voters to stop using popularity and emotions as the basis for choosing the country’s next president.
Villar said that the people should remember that the country plunged into deep political and economic turmoil when the electorate in the late 1980s and late 1990s picked presidents out of sympathy and opularity. He did not name the presidents he was referring to.
“In the end, the issue here is if we really want to move on, the country’s next president should have leadership and competence,” he added.
The NP bet earlier declared that his track record could speak for itself since he is a successful businessman and an outstanding member of the Senate.
Villar said that many voters even see him as the first political figure to run for president without relying on funding from others. This, he added, makes him financially beholden to no one.
The NP candidate allayed fears that his alliance with various political groups with contradicting interests would undermine his leadership.
Estrada gaining
Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s camp believe that its bet continues to gain more supporters, belying results of popular surveys that showed him trailing the frontrunners.
Former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, the campaign manager of Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), said that the massing of thousands of supports during the former president’s provincial sorties has disproved the results of the popular surveys.
“As we have said time and again, these surveys do not show the reality on the ground and those who belittled President Erap’s chances are now being proved wrong. He [Estrada] was correct in predicting that he would peak when the time is right, [or] in the last few weeks of the campaign. It’s all coming together now,” Maceda added.
He cited Estrada’s recent rally in Cebu province that drew a crowd of about 30,000, the biggest gathering mustered so far by any candidate for president in the province that was achieved without the appearance of show business personalities.
On Tuesday, 20,000 people attended Estrada’s rally with his running mate, Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati City (Metro Manila), in Cavite City.
According to Maceda, the recent defection of Rep. Annie Susano of Quezon City to Estrada’s camp would also be a big boost to the former president’s campaign in Metro Manila.
Susano’s “constituency includes Novaliches and areas along Commonwealth Avenue with large masa [masses] communities, traditional bailiwicks of President Erap,” he said.
Susano started her political career with the PMP but later joined the ruling party.
THINGS are looking up for former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro because stalwarts from other political parties are reportedly planning to jump ship and support the ruling party’s standard-bearer in the May 10 elections.
According to Reggie Velasco, the deputy secretary general of Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), more politicians from the rival parties have signified their intention to support Teodoro, whom they said is the most qualified among the candidates seeking to succeed President Gloria Arroyo.
Velasco said things are still under negotiations and that they could not disclose any details yet on the transfer of the politicians to the ruling party. What is sure, according to him, is that there are politicians who have sent feelers to defect to the camp of Teodoro.
Meanwhile, Rep. Amelita Villarosa of Occidental Mindoro, the Lakas-Kampi CMD chairman, has announced that Rep. George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental, who belongs to the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), would be supporting the bid of the former Defense secretary but that Arnaiz will stay with his current party.
Villarosa made the disclosure during a meeting at the Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu City on Tuesday night that was attended by at least 41 governors and gubernatorial candidates, who all reaffirmed their support for Teodoro.
Also present during the meeting was Rep. Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu province, who belied local media reports that he was no longer supporting Teodoro and has switched allegiance to a rival candidate.
“We are kumpadre [buddies], so kumpadre we will be, till the end. Gibo is the most qualified to be our next president. What we need is a president who will look forward, not backward,” he said.
Teodoro said that he never doubted Salimbangon despite stories published in the local media that the Cebu congressman was supporting another candidate.
Teodoro volunteers
Various volunteer groups supporting Teodoro have vowed to work harder to ensure clean and honest elections on May 10.
“It is important that voters remain vigilant of their votes and to protect their votes,” said Evelyn Kilayko, chairman of Mahal Ko Bayan Ko.
“It is important for us volunteers to know exactly what we can do, to clinch the victory of our candidate, Gibo Teodoro, without any fears regarding the safety of our votes,” said Rose Imperial of Friends of Ramos for Teodoro (FORT).
More than 200 volunteers attended the seminar on Tuesday at the Gibo Volunteer Center in Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City (metro Manila).
In Legazpi City, Albay, a volunteer movement has emerged to support the bid of Teodoro, apparently a welcome development given the defection of some ruling party members to the opposition, particularly Gov. Jose “Joey” Salceda of Albay. The volunteer movement is spearheaded by Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City.
Teodoro is “the best preference of the electorate from almost all sectors of society. The youth and young professionals are rallying behind him [Teodoro] because of his magnificent track record and intellectual capabilities as a young leader. Gibo is now the underdog with great capabilities [and] because of this, he won over Sen. [Francis] “Chiz” Escudero’s millions of political supporters,” Rosal said.
He added that while Teodoro’s ranking in the surveys was not that high, online polls in almost all the universities in the country showed the administration bet leading the other candidates.
Villar appeals
With less than three weeks before the May 10 polls, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. urged Filipino voters to stop using popularity and emotions as the basis for choosing the country’s next president.
Villar said that the people should remember that the country plunged into deep political and economic turmoil when the electorate in the late 1980s and late 1990s picked presidents out of sympathy and opularity. He did not name the presidents he was referring to.
“In the end, the issue here is if we really want to move on, the country’s next president should have leadership and competence,” he added.
The NP bet earlier declared that his track record could speak for itself since he is a successful businessman and an outstanding member of the Senate.
Villar said that many voters even see him as the first political figure to run for president without relying on funding from others. This, he added, makes him financially beholden to no one.
The NP candidate allayed fears that his alliance with various political groups with contradicting interests would undermine his leadership.
Estrada gaining
Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s camp believe that its bet continues to gain more supporters, belying results of popular surveys that showed him trailing the frontrunners.
Former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, the campaign manager of Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), said that the massing of thousands of supports during the former president’s provincial sorties has disproved the results of the popular surveys.
“As we have said time and again, these surveys do not show the reality on the ground and those who belittled President Erap’s chances are now being proved wrong. He [Estrada] was correct in predicting that he would peak when the time is right, [or] in the last few weeks of the campaign. It’s all coming together now,” Maceda added.
He cited Estrada’s recent rally in Cebu province that drew a crowd of about 30,000, the biggest gathering mustered so far by any candidate for president in the province that was achieved without the appearance of show business personalities.
On Tuesday, 20,000 people attended Estrada’s rally with his running mate, Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati City (Metro Manila), in Cavite City.
According to Maceda, the recent defection of Rep. Annie Susano of Quezon City to Estrada’s camp would also be a big boost to the former president’s campaign in Metro Manila.
Susano’s “constituency includes Novaliches and areas along Commonwealth Avenue with large masa [masses] communities, traditional bailiwicks of President Erap,” he said.
Susano started her political career with the PMP but later joined the ruling party.
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