By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., TJ Burgonio (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100415-264362/Teodoro-Nograles-trade-barbs
MANILA, Philippines—Saying that Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro faced “irreversible defeat” in the May elections, House Speaker Prospero Nograles is consulting with former President Fidel V. Ramos and other senior Lakas leaders on how to save the party and stop the wave of defections.
“Defeat appears irreversible for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer. It was a mistake to choose him in the first place. In the past several months that he promised to reverse the trend of defeat, nothing happened. It only led to defections left and right, and disenchantment everywhere,” Nograles said in a statement.
Nograles doubted that Teodoro can win, even in the administration’s traditional bailiwick of Mindanao, because he said he has done nothing while the coalition’s key leaders in the region jump to rival parties.
He said that it “pained” him to see the Lakas-Kampi-CMD “collapsing” which was why he is moving to round up all disgruntled senior members to help steer the party in the right direction and probably adopt another candidate.
But party official Cavite Rep. Epidio Barzaga Jr. said that it was too late for the party to adopt another candidate.
And it would set a bad example for the youth for a party to ditch its standard-bearer in the middle of a campaign just because he or she was trailing badly in the surveys, he said.
Nograles continued his tirade against Teodoro for the fourth straight day as Lakas-Kampi continued to suffer from defections.
Nograles was stung by Teodoro’s calling him an “unfirm party member” who has never been supportive of his candidacy when the Speaker threatened to quit the party and support another presidential candidate.
He accused Teodoro of joining the ruling coalition only because of his presidential ambitions since his original party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), did not include him on its list of potential standard-bearers.
In Iloilo City where he was on a campaign sortie, Teodoro said of Nograles’ threat to support another presidential candidate: “He should first win as mayor before he does that.”
Nograles is running for mayor of Davao City against the daughter of incumbent Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
“He should not vent his frustrations on me. I won’t dignify his comments,” Teodoro told reporters before facing a rally of more than 5,000 organized by former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, the latter’s son, Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr., and their allies Tuesday night.
Hours earlier, he warned party officials against using him or the party as an excuse to defect to other camps.
Taking a subtle swipe at the defectors, Teodoro said he picked Edu Manzano, who is also an Ilonggo, for his running mate because he was “trustworthy.”
Teodoro also found an ally in the elder Gonzalez, who belittled Nograles’ threat to bolt the party.
“We don’t abandon the party. Only rats abandon a sinking ship. It’s not yet sinking,” he told reporters.
“What could he contribute to Gibo? He has a big constituency but we don’t know his problems there [in Davao]. He is facing a great fight,” he said of Nograles.
Gonzalez, the former chief presidential legal counsel, said it was “myopic” of Nograles to blame Teodoro for the woes of their party mates.
He said Nograles’ moves “could be acts inimical to the interest of the party,” but stopped short of saying this constituted grounds for his expulsion.
Teodoro’s spokesperson, Mike Toledo, disputed Nograles’ criticism that Teodoro had poor priorities, preferring to campaign in small provinces rather than the vote-rich ones.
“While Gibo has never had any sortie in Sarangani, he has been to Ilocos Sur three times and to Compostela Valley twice, contrary to what Speaker Nograles is saying,” Toledo said.
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100415-264362/Teodoro-Nograles-trade-barbs
MANILA, Philippines—Saying that Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro faced “irreversible defeat” in the May elections, House Speaker Prospero Nograles is consulting with former President Fidel V. Ramos and other senior Lakas leaders on how to save the party and stop the wave of defections.
“Defeat appears irreversible for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer. It was a mistake to choose him in the first place. In the past several months that he promised to reverse the trend of defeat, nothing happened. It only led to defections left and right, and disenchantment everywhere,” Nograles said in a statement.
Nograles doubted that Teodoro can win, even in the administration’s traditional bailiwick of Mindanao, because he said he has done nothing while the coalition’s key leaders in the region jump to rival parties.
He said that it “pained” him to see the Lakas-Kampi-CMD “collapsing” which was why he is moving to round up all disgruntled senior members to help steer the party in the right direction and probably adopt another candidate.
But party official Cavite Rep. Epidio Barzaga Jr. said that it was too late for the party to adopt another candidate.
And it would set a bad example for the youth for a party to ditch its standard-bearer in the middle of a campaign just because he or she was trailing badly in the surveys, he said.
Nograles continued his tirade against Teodoro for the fourth straight day as Lakas-Kampi continued to suffer from defections.
Nograles was stung by Teodoro’s calling him an “unfirm party member” who has never been supportive of his candidacy when the Speaker threatened to quit the party and support another presidential candidate.
He accused Teodoro of joining the ruling coalition only because of his presidential ambitions since his original party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), did not include him on its list of potential standard-bearers.
In Iloilo City where he was on a campaign sortie, Teodoro said of Nograles’ threat to support another presidential candidate: “He should first win as mayor before he does that.”
Nograles is running for mayor of Davao City against the daughter of incumbent Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
“He should not vent his frustrations on me. I won’t dignify his comments,” Teodoro told reporters before facing a rally of more than 5,000 organized by former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, the latter’s son, Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr., and their allies Tuesday night.
Hours earlier, he warned party officials against using him or the party as an excuse to defect to other camps.
Taking a subtle swipe at the defectors, Teodoro said he picked Edu Manzano, who is also an Ilonggo, for his running mate because he was “trustworthy.”
Teodoro also found an ally in the elder Gonzalez, who belittled Nograles’ threat to bolt the party.
“We don’t abandon the party. Only rats abandon a sinking ship. It’s not yet sinking,” he told reporters.
“What could he contribute to Gibo? He has a big constituency but we don’t know his problems there [in Davao]. He is facing a great fight,” he said of Nograles.
Gonzalez, the former chief presidential legal counsel, said it was “myopic” of Nograles to blame Teodoro for the woes of their party mates.
He said Nograles’ moves “could be acts inimical to the interest of the party,” but stopped short of saying this constituted grounds for his expulsion.
Teodoro’s spokesperson, Mike Toledo, disputed Nograles’ criticism that Teodoro had poor priorities, preferring to campaign in small provinces rather than the vote-rich ones.
“While Gibo has never had any sortie in Sarangani, he has been to Ilocos Sur three times and to Compostela Valley twice, contrary to what Speaker Nograles is saying,” Toledo said.
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