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Sunday, April 18, 2004
Lacson organizers bolt to FPJ camp
BAGUIO -- Now it is the supporters of presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson who are jumping out of his party and are moving to the camp of Fernando Poe Jr.
Members of the Ping for President Movement (PPM), the biggest group supporting presidential bet and Sen. Panfilo Lacson in Northern Luzon, jumped ship and allied themselves with the camp of Fernando Poe Jr.
But a source from PPM said PPM-Northern Luzon has not totally abandoned Lacson, only that the group wants to share their support to the candidacy of Poe for a "more cohesive and unified opposition."
Benedick Ballug, PPM-Northern Luzon coordinator, refused to give the reasons why he and several others allied themselves with the Freedom, Peace, Justice and Progress Movement (FPJPM), the main movement supporting the movie action king.
Ballug and other PPM-Northern Luzon officers were among those in the presidential table when the FPJPM called for a press conference regarding the shift of support from Lacson to Poe.
Igorot chieftain Nicolas "Bong" Cawed, coordinator of the FPJPM in the Cordilleras, said FPJPM welcomed the decision of the former PPM officials, claiming that more groups from the other camps will soon join Poe's camp.
Cawed said the FPJPM did not encourage Ballug and other former PPM-Northern Luzon officials to join their group as it was the decision of Lacson's former supporters.
Former Rep. Jojo Estrella of the 5th district of Pangasinan and now coordinator of the FPJPM in Region I said former Lacson supporters did not ask for any conditions before they jumped ship.
The shift of support boosted anew Poe's candidacy, who was also earlier abandoned by his supposed close friends and coordinators in Baguio and the rest of the Cordilleras.
Former two-time Baguio Mayor Ramon Labo, the close friend of Poe in Baguio, admitted he is presently campaigning for the candidacy of Arroyo.
Harry Dominguez, coordinator of FPJPM in Mt. Province, also decided to support Arroyo during the campaign rally of K-4 bets, led by the President, at the Bontoc Municipal Hall premises.
"After I realized that many of the former KNP supporters threw their support to the President, I remained to be a supporter of Fernando Poe Jr. But after hearing their stands, I decided to support the President," Dominguez was quoted as saying.
Earlier two groups of supporters of Poe defected to the group of Lacson. The Muslims of FPJ are now Muslims of Ping, Lacson's campaign leader said.
Lacson's camp is also expecting the defection of former president Joseph Estrada's Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
Most of Poe's supporters defecting to Lacson's group made the move allegedly after they are being neglected by the leaders of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), Poe's political party. Harley F. Palangchao
(April 18, 2004 issue)
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