Kampi seeks to lead pro-GMA coalition

Most members of the revitalized Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino favor the idea of merging with the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and other parties, a Kampi official said yesterday.

"Hearing from many of us the idea of being unified is good for the country," Kampi spokesman Isabela Rep. Anthony Miranda said.

However, he pointed out that Kampi’s members believe that as members of the party President Arroyo founded in 1997, they should take the lead in promoting her 10-point anti-poverty program of government.

Kampi, which has 77 congressmen as members, recently formed a coalition with the 32-strong Liberal Party (LP). A proposed merger between Kampi and Lakas-CMD will be among the topics to be discussed during the national council meeting on Friday, Miranda said.

Kampi interim president Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno said both parties aim to merge by July 25, a day before the President delivers her state of the nation address when the 13th Congress opens.

However, Puno said the proposed merger is not yet final since it will depend on the decision of Kampi’s general membership.

Miranda said one of the issues they will put to a vote is whether Kampi will remain a complimentary party to Lakas, which happened in the 1998 presidential election when the Lakas-NUCD-Kampi coalition was forged.

"The issue will be answered after the meeting," Miranda said.

Kampi secretary-general Emigdio Tanjuatco Jr. notified members that the national council will convene to welcome new members and discuss the party’s revitalization and its role in building a strong republic, as provided by its charter.

Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos warned Speaker Jose de Venecia of a sinister plot by "a new political group" in the House to stage a coup and grab committee chairmanships.

Marcos, in a statement, was apparently alluding to Kampi, whose members are "feeding and getting fat on the guts of the majority coalition and in the best position to stage a power grab" in the House.

"You have to admire the people behind this plot. They pulled the right strings and pushed the correct buttons — egging a few key individuals’ ambitions and launching them like torpedoes against their own allies. That this group could trace its links to the very top certainly lends it undeniable credibility," she said. — With Paolo Romero