Wednesday, May 02, 2007 Arroyo funds local allies’ slate By Lizanilla J. Amarga
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is supporting and funding all local candidates from all six administration political parties whether their nominations have been withdrawn or not.
Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC)-Misamis Oriental head Claveria Mayor Rocky Calingin said this Tuesday after reports of how Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) president Luis R. Villafuerte has allegedly written a letter withdrawing the certificate of nomination and acceptance (Cona) issued for Micheal Angelo C. Paderanga as its congressional bet for the First District of Misamis Oriental.
He said this as he pointed out that it is no longer so important whether one has any nomination as one of the administration candidates or not.
"What is really important right now is who among the contending rival administration political parties get to take the ERs (election results) back to their camp," he said.
Nevertheless, Calingin explained that there are some people who want to create the impression that because a candidate's nomination is withdrawn, such candidate is no longer being supported or funded by Arroyo and thus, "weak."
"But this is not the case. At this point it doesn't matter any longer which of the six administration parties a local candidate belongs as President Arroyo is supporting all local candidates and has given them funds," he said.
Earlier, administration parties Lakas-CMD Misamis Oriental head Governor Oscar Moreno, Misamis Oriental gubernatorial bet Second District Representative Augusto Baculio Jr. and the NPC-Misamis Oriental led by Calingin went to Malacañang on separate dates as invited by Arroyo.
All three political parties are members of the coalition of six administration political parties or popularly known as Team Unity.
There were reports that Arroyo is not taking any chances considering that an impeachment complaint against her might just be elevated to the Senate should the opposition muster enough seats in Congress in this May 2007 elections.
This, particularly, as there are reports that former President Joseph Estrada and several opposition groups as well as militant organizations and partylists that are gathering force to unseat her before 2010.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the regional office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) under OIC assistant regional director Carlito Ravelo said he has not received a copy of the April 25, 2007, letter allegedly issued by Villafuerte, asking him to drop Paderanga out of the Kampi list of candidates.
But reelectionist Moreno over his radio program Tuesday described as a “major setback” for Kampi that the nomination of Paderanga, one of Kampi's top candidates, has been withdrawn.
"This is a big slap against Kampi," he said. "Kampi's First District has already collapsed."
He then congratulated his Lakas-CMD bet reelectionist First District Congressman Danilo Lagbas.
Moreno said he would not ask the withdrawal of the nominations of Baculio and the rest of the other administration parties' candidates running against his Lakas-CMD's bets.
He said this as he wants the elections to be one that is rally decided by the people.
"I do not want to ask any debt of gratitude to anyone," Moreno said. "We can handle this."
But Baculio for his part hinted that “it should be Moreno and his cohorts who should slap themselves into reality.”
This as he pointed out that there is no withdrawal of support for Paderanga and that the latter stays as their candidate for congressman in the First District.
"No such thing as a withdrawal," he said.
Earlier, Ravelo explained that it was not Villafuerte who signed Kampi's nomination including that of Paderanga's but former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Ronaldo Puno.
