Thursday, March 13, 2008 Lakas-Kampi merger draws mixed reactions from locals By Edmund B. Sestoso
THE reported merger of Lakas-CMD and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Kampi has elicited mixed feelings from local officials and politicians in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental.
Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices is expected to toe the line, and his local party "Kasaligan" is expected to join the merger if it will push through.
The mayor said the new twist in the political groupings will highly affect local members.
The mayor said the coalition would find it hard to come up with unified candidates for local posts.
Bais City Mayor Hector "Tata" Villanueva, a close ally of Arroyo, also favors the merger of the two ruling parties in the national level.
Villanueva further said Lakas-CMD "was saved" from being torn after its former party president, then House Speaker Jose de Venecia, resigned.
The Bais mayor said de Venecia's move was a wise decision.
Villanueva said he was already foreseeing a very strong party with the merger between the two especially in preparation for the national election in 2010.
The mayor was pleased with JDV's resignation saying that during the last election, the former House Speaker endorsed what Villanueva called as unworthy candidates.
In another report, Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong (1st district, Negros Oriental) welcomed the resignation of de Venecia as president of the ruling Lakas-CMD.
The lawmaker said it is not important for her who the party president would be, as long as he abides with party directions and objectives.
According to Limkaichong, her loyalty is with the party and not with the personalities who are leading the party.
She specifically said it was better that de Venecia resigned rather than be expelled from his post.
She however said the merger still needs much studying and analysis.
She added that many members from both parties disagreed with the merger.
