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By Sam Mediavilla, Reporter
The national convention on Monday
of the administration party Lakas-CMD is a show of force and support
for the senatorial candidates of the Team Unity, party stalwarts
said Sunday.
Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita and Secretary Gabriel Claudio, political adviser of President
Arroyo, were confident the Team Unity candidates would hold their
own against their rivals from the Genuine Opposition who had been
dominating recent surveys.
Ermita said the mobilization of
some 2,000 party members from all over the country is also aimed at
showing that Lakas-CMD remains the dominant majority party, contrary
to claims of the Kabalikat ng Mamayang Pilipino (Kampi) that it is
now the biggest administration party.
Lakas has been losing many of its
members to Kampi, the party of President Arroyo, prompting
speculation that the two parties were drifting apart.
“There is nothing wrong with
Lakas holding its national convention, because party members would
only show their strength, their force. There is nothing wrong with
that, is there?” Ermita told reporters in a phone-patch interview.
Claudio said the convention
“will show why the victory of TU is not only plausible but
inevitable, regardless of existing surveys. Lakas is fielding
candidates, mostly incumbents, for around 70 percent of all local
and congressional positions nationwide. Add to them the candidates
of Kampi and other parties within the administration coalition and
you have complete dominance of the local elections by administration
forces.”
He said there is no way the
political opposition could match the administration’s local force,
pointing out that “the opposition is able to field bets for only
30 percent of local posts, and weak ones at that.”
“Everyone knows it’s the
local officials who deliver the votes for national candidates.
Surveys also tell us that mayors, governors and barangay officials
have the greatest influence on voters at the community level,”
Claudio said.
He said that victory for Team
Unity’s candidates was inevitable because “of their
identification with the President’s drive for economic progress
and stability through national harmony, while the opposition’s
sole agenda is to oust the President.”
Team Unity candidate Juan Miguel
Zubiri said the convention would “start the big push” that is
expected to “culminate in the administration’s top-to-bottom
electoral victory on May 14.”
“You can liken it to a parade
and review of troops on the eve of a battle. The only difference is
that we have won many of the battles without firing a shot because
in most areas the opposition has given up the fight so
administration candidates are running unopposed,” Zubiri said.
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