|
Speaker Prospero Nograles came out the other day with a preview of
the administration ticket for the 2010 national election, with Vice
President Noli de Castro as the presidential standard bearer.
The Senate slate, he said, will be spearheaded
by the President’s son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, and will
include Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay, Monico Fuentebella of Bacolod
City, Abraham Mitra of Palawan, Ed Zialcita of Parañaque City, Art
Defensor of Iloilo and Neptali Gonzales 2nd of Mandaluyong City.
From the Cabinet, Nograles mentioned secretaries
Jesli Lapus of Education, Francisco Duque 3rd of Health, Arthur Yap
of Agriculture, Angelo Reyes of Energy and Nasser Pangandaman of
Agrarian Reform as senatorial bets. Optical Media Board Chairman Edu
Manzano is in the list.
Reelectionist senators Ramon Revilla and Lito
Lapid, under the rule of the equity of the incumbent, will be in the
ticket, said Nograles. The administration’s senatorial losers in
the 2007 election—Ralph Recto, Tessie Aquino-Oreta, Vicente Sotto
3rd, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson and former Surigao Rep.
Prospero Pichay—may be given a chance to run again.
There was no mention of the vice presidential
candidate. De Castro, the strongest contender based on two political
surveys, could be paired with any of the other presidential
aspirants—MMDA boss Bayani Fernando, Quezon City Mayor Sonny
Belmonte and Sen. Dick Gordon—if they don’t make it in the
presidential nomination.
Notwithstanding his vaunted popularity,
according to Nograles, de Castro is not sure of being chosen the
administration’s presidential bet. Anything can happen in the
party convention, he said.
Compared with the administration, the political
opposition does not have a single presidential ticket. There are at
least five presidential aspirants—Senate President Manny Villar,
head of the Nacionalista Party; Sens. Mar Roxas, president of the
Liberal Party; Loren Legarda; Panfilo Lacson; and former President
Joseph Estrada.
It is possible for these contenders to come to
their senses and form one united ticket to ensure a better chance to
win the presidency. If Erap is constitutionally qualified to run, he
could be the rallying point as the standard bearer of a solid
opposition ticket.
But will Villar, Roxas, Legarda and Lacson yield
their presidential ambition?
Villar and Roxas appear in the midst of
mobilizing their resources in preparation for the presidential
battle. Legarda, who twice topped two Senate elections, and Lacson,
who ran for president in the 2004 poll, are being urged by their
supporters to run.
As far as I know, Legarda and Lacson have
nothing to lose even if they fail in their presidential bids because
they can go back to the Senate to finish the remaining three years
of their six-year term. Both won their Senate seats in 2007.
The political opposition has a rich reservoir of
potential winners in a Senate electoral race. Jun Lozada, the
celebrated witness in the ZTE broadband scandal, has earned a broad
political base in the course of his nationwide advocacy for “truth
and justice” to top a senatorial race.
Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., if he
decides to run for the Senate, has a bright chance of winning. His
son, Joey de Venecia 3rd, the witness who broke the ZTE broadband
case, is also a likely Senate winner.
The opposition in the House has a deep bench of
“senatoriables”: Minority Leader Ronnie Zamora, Reps. Teofisto
Guingona Jr. of Bukidnon, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City,
Roilo Golez of Parañaque City, Darlene Antonino-Custodio of South
Cotabato, Edno Joson of Nueva Ecija, senior deputy minority leader
Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna and Joel Villanueva of Cibac.
Other strong contenders are United Opposition
spokesman Adel Tamano, president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng
Maynila; Susan Roces, widow of the 2004 opposition presidential
standard bearer Fernando Poe Jr.; Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay; San
Juan Mayor JV Ejercito; and Koko Pimentel, son of Sen. Nene Pimentel,
who is contesting the 12th slot in the last senatorial election.
Reelectionist Sens. Jamby Madrigal and Jinggoy
Estrada are two other potential Senate winners.
It is still two years away from the presidential
derby but the political cauldron is already seething.
agr0324@yahoo.com
|
