Roco to Estrada: Endorse Nora for governor

There are no permanent enemies in politics. Only strange bedfellows.

This apparently was the case in the recent presidential sortie to Bicol when Nageño Sen. Raul Roco urged President Estrada to endorse his old friend and former leading lady Nora Aunor as candidate for governor of Camarines Sur.

The President, however gallant, is not biting. Not yet anyway.

Roco, who has played his role as arch oppositionist to the hilt, temporarily set aside his criticisms of the administration when Mr. Estrada flew to Camarines Sur last Thursday to inaugurate a number of newly completed government projects.

Roco, who is allied with Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella of the third district of Camarines Sur, has been a political rival of Luis Villafuerte, incumbent governor of the province who will be running next year for his third and last term.

Roco, who is on his last term in the Senate, is reportedly running again in his congressional district where Bong Villafuerte, eldest son of the governor, is also running.

The elder Villafuerte is the regional chairman of the President’s Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP) coalition. Roco is founder of the Aksyon Demokratiko.

On board the presidential plane, Roco took the opportunity to ask Mr. Estrada to endorse instead the latter’s close friend and movie colleague, Aunor, who is reputedly eyeing the Camarines Sur governorship.

The superstar was one of the guests in the program where she was introduced by Fuentebella as "the next governor." She did a few numbers, including a duet with Mr. Estrada.

But during his speech, the President, while acknowledging the presence of Aunor, did not take the congressman’s cue.

While Aunor had actively campaigned for him during the 1998 election, the President indicated that the popular singer and actress, though a sure winner, herself has no illusions about her capability to run a public office.

"What will happen to the province?" the President quoted Aunor as saying.

Mr. Estrada did not totally let down Roco when he admitted to Bicolano folks during the program that he lost in their province to the senator, who finished third in the presidential elections in 1998.

Roco is eyeing the presidency anew in 2004, with Aunor as his possible gubernatorial candidate to test just how good he is as a queen-maker.

Armida reappointed

President Estrada has reappointed Armida Siguion-Reyna as chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for another one-year term to end Sept. 30, 2001.

Also reappointed for another one-year term were Jose Lacaba, as vice chairman, and members Romulo Borromeo, Emmanuel Borlaza, Diego Cagahastian, Benjamin Cervantes, Carmelo Chionglo, Fr. Nicasio Cruz, Teresita Daza, Nicolas Deocampo, Ma. Laura Consuelo Dimanlig;

Adolfo Guerzon, Mario Hernando, Dorothy Jones, Joel Lamangan, Solphia Macapagal, Eric Henry Joseph Mallonga, Ma. Lourdes Lilia Manalastas, Lucia Orense, Rodolfo Salandanan, Renato Salud, Edmund Sicam, Benedicto Tarnate, Nicanor Tiongson, Antonio Tuviera, Raquel Villavicencio and Robert Ylagan.

Appointed as new MTRCB members were Ricardo Salomon Jr., vice Jose Claro Tesoro; Mary Christin Mitra, vice Dominique Gallego; Orlando Olgado, vice Lorna Tolentino; and Alfredo Yuson, vice Placido Escudero. – Marichu Villanueva