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The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats will decide next
week whether former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. will remain as
president of the party he had helped found in 1992.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, the
Lakas secretary-general, said the party’s national executive
committee decided in a meeting Monday to declare all positions
vacant, including that of de Venecia’s, who had been at odds with
President Gloria Arroyo, the party’s honorary head.
Zubiri, however, did not close
the possibility that de Venecia might be given an honorary post,
which will be created through an amendment of the party constitution
by the National Directorate, which will convene on March 10.
De Venecia had refused to resign
from his post or to quit the party. He said all officers of the
party have been “overstaying” and that it is about time that a
new set of officers be elected.
“Among the proposed amendments
to the party constitution is to authorize the National Directorate
to reorganize the party and to authorize it to elect the national
party officials,” Zubiri said.
The party constitution, according
to him, empowers him as secretary-general to convene the National
Directorate.
Lawyer Raul Lambino, an ally of
de Venecia, maintained, however, that the secretary-general can
convene the National Directorate only with the consent of de Venecia,
the party president. Lambino said they might go to the courts should
the National Directorate convene without de Venecia’s approval.
Zubiri said de Venecia was not
invited to the Monday meeting because he was not a member.
Among those who attended the
meeting at Manila Hotel were former President Fidel Ramos (chairman
emeritus), Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Speaker Prospero
Nograles, Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City (who is touted
to be de Venecia’s successor), and Chairman Bayani Fernando of the
Metro Manila Development Authority, who is seeking the party
nomination as its 2010 presidential candidate.
“The atmosphere during the
meeting was one of party unity and consensus- building. The
discussions were above board, with no recriminations or
fault-finding but with honor to the party,” Zubiri said.
Party sources said it is likely
that Nograles will be the one who will be chosen to replace de
Venecia as he is being supported by the President and other
Lakas-CMD officials.
It was reported that de Venecia,
who is currently out of the country, is being offered by Ramos the
position of president emeritus.
Ramos said his offer is his
solution to the party row in order to avoid a “bloody
situation.”
He and de Venecia founded the
party.
Party members’ mounting calls
for de Venecia’s removal as president of Lakas-CMD started when
the former House speaker’s son alleged that the President’s
husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, was linked to the
controversial national broadband network deal with Chinese firm ZTE
Corp.
The pressure increased when de
Venecia announced that he intends to expose many corrupt practices
in the government. He later joined those who call for Mrs.
Arroyo’s resignation.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye,
also a Lakas member, said “all major issues” that affect the
party will be resolved during the directorate meeting. These issues,
he added, include those between the President and the former House
Speaker.
When asked on the call of Ramos
for de Venecia to step down as Lakas president, Bunye refused to
comment, saying the issue will be discussed during the meeting.
If de Venecia refuses to resign,
the meeting could still push through because the party’s
secretary-general could convene the meeting based on Lakas’
by-laws, he said.
--Efren L. Danao, Rommel C. Lontayao and Angelo S. Samonte
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