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Thursday, February 07, 2008
Ramos: De Venecia will stay with Lakas
MANILA -- Ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. will remain with the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrat, former President Fidel Ramos said Wednesday.
Ramos, who is chairman emeritus of the Lakas party, hinted of the possibility that de Venecia might be replaced in his present position in the party over time and following party rules.
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"Former Speaker Jose de Venecia will remain in Lakas-CMD, considering that he is a co-founder of Lakas and president of the Centrist Democrat International for Asia and the Pacific," Ramos said.
He added that this was confirmed at lunchtime Wednesday by no other than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, de Venecia, and himself.
According to Ramos, what happened last Monday when de Venecia was ousted and replaced by Davao Representative Prospero Nograles was an "intra-party matter that would not affect the relation between Lakas and Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilpino (Kampi).
He admitted that de Venecia might be replaced, but said: "This should be done within and following party processes."
"There will be no immediate changes in the Lakas-CMD leadership. This is a process that will take place over time with continuous consultations along the leaders. Over time in a civilized process and according to party rules, but there are factors to be considered since he is the president of the party. Will just cross the bridge when we get there," the former President said.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez was quoted as saying that aside from losing his Speakership post, de Venecia could also lose his post as president of the Lakas-CMD especially if he joins the opposition.
Former congressman and Lakas stalwart Prospero Pichay said the former Speaker's fate now depends on the results of the Lakas-CMD national directorate meeting, which has been reset to February 21.
Merger
To underscore the "strong" relationship between the two political parties, Ramos confirmed that Lakas and Kampi would merge.
"Lakas-CMD and Kampi will merge, with Lakas-CMD as survivor party. This process will be speeded up by a joint committee," he said, adding that the agreement for the merger was made by the President, Nograles, Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
He said Lakas-CMD being the bigger, elder, and internationally known party will take the lead in the merger.
Puno also confirmed the merger saying it is meant to consolidate both parties for the coming presidential elections and make them a "very, very strong force to reckon with in 2010."
"We are just being practical and we are being consistent with the party's objective. I think a Lakas-Kampi combination, assuming the merger will push through, will be a very difficult party to contend with," he added.
He said that with the merger, the administration would field one candidate in all local and national levels.
There are about 90 lawmakers in the Lower House belonging to Lakas, while Kampi has about 50.
Also, 60 percent of the total numbers of local executives (governors and mayors) belong to Lakas although it sustained defection recently including that of Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone who resigned from the party and joined Kampi.
Ramos said despite this development, Lakas would remain a strong and viable political party.
He said at present, the current focus is to strengthen the party through the "Balik-Lakas-CMD" program especially at the grassroots level and linkages with local government units (LGUs), civil society, and non-government organizations.
Ramos's adviser and one of Lakas founding member, Ed Malay, earlier admitted that there could be movement within the administration party to the opposition following de Venecia's ouster, but stressed it would have insignificant impact to the long-term viability of the party.
"There may be some lateral movements to other parties within the ruling coalition and maybe to the mainstream opposition, but this is very minimal and will have no impact at all on the continued viability of Lakas as a major political party and the members who have been with the party since its inception and who share the same ideology as they have manifested their desire to stick to the party," Malay said.
Ramos when asked if de Venecia would not join the opposition, said: "I don't know, can you enter the mind of de Venecia?"
Corruption
After his ouster, de Venecia made a scathing speech against President Arroyo denouncing corruption in the government and the alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential elections.
De Venecia also said he is ready to join the opposition in exposing anomalies committed by the administration.
Ramos, for his part, said fighting corruption would be the main plank of Lakas along with democratization, economic growth, and protecting human rights. He said Arroyo also made her commitment to tackle corruption.
Ramos challenged de Venecia to substantiate his claim of graft and corruption in the government, adding that he differed with his protégé regarding the former House Speaker's accusation against the Arroyos.
"If you accuse, you should present evidence otherwise it would amount to nothing," he said although he stressed that de Venecia is not prohibited from saying what he wanted to say.
"He (de Venecia) has already talked, we all know what he says. He is free to talk. There is freedom in the country," Ramos added.
But Ramos said he is ready as chairman emeritus of Lakas to mediate between Arroyo and de Venecia although he admitted it might take time for the wounds to heal.
"Right now the issue is hot but time heals," the former President said. (AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (February 7, 2008 issue)
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