A VICE president with the caliber and experience of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be an asset to the next president, said Quezon 3rd District Representative Danilo Suarez.

In a forum held in Serye restaurant, Quezon City, Suarez who is also senior deputy general of Lakas-Kampi-CMD said that if Arroyo runs for congressman of Pampanga, he "can easily predict" that she will be the Speaker of the House.

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"The best scenario for the 2010 elections is if President Arroyo can be convinced to run for Vice president," Suarez said.

But he admitted that there have been no serious discussions or considerations of her running for vice president in the party.

Suarez said that if Arroyo runs for a seat in the Congress, it would be because she would like to continue previous projects such as the seven-point fiscal program in which only four was turned into laws.

This shows that the main weakness in the Arroyo administration is legislation, he added. "She (Arroyo) can continue by looking at those areas had congress looked into this proposal."

Suarez is in the process of completing the report on President Arroyo's performance from 2004-2010, analyzing whether she was able to comply with her promises.

"There is substantial compliance in what she promised. Even ultra-oppositionists will agree that you cannot be that bad when you have continuous growth," he said.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD deputy secretary general Reginald Velasco earlier said they still has "a long list" of candidates for the vice presidential position after Interior and Local Government Secreraty Ronaldo Puno backed out.

Bayan Muna Party List Representative Neri Colmenares posed concern over the possibility of Arroyo assuming the presidency again if she runs and wins the vice presidential position.

"That's a dangerous proposition. If the president dies, she will become the president again because it's not constitutionally disallowed for her to do that," Colmenares said.

Under the Constitution, two terms are allowed for the vice president.

Arroyo was then President Joseph Estrada's vice president. She assumed the presidency when Estrada was forced to step down from office during Edsa Dos.

She finished the former President's term in less than three years, making her eligible to run again for President, according to the Constitution.

"No person who has served as president for more than four years, is qualified for election for the same position," said Colmenares.

This means that if ever President Arroyo runs for vice president and the incumbent president dies, further legal complications will ensue.

"Our legal opinion is that she can not run for reelection. For ordinary candidates, reelection means the same position. But under the law, it has no definition," Colmenares said.

This means that the law could either be interpreted as the president not being eligible to run for "reelection" in all positions. (Angela Casauay/Sunnex)