GMA to Lakas: Make Gibo win

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo ordered yesterday pro-administration governors, other political allies and newly installed party leaders to close ranks behind Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard- bearer Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr.

For the first time, Mrs. Arroyo, the party’s chairman emeritus, attended the Lakas-Kampi-CMD executive committee meeting presided over by the new chairman, Mindoro Occidental Rep. Amelita Villarosa, at the Linden Suites in Pasig City yesterday noon.

Villarosa said Mrs. Arroyo instructed her to focus her efforts on addressing party concerns.

“On top of an order for us to campaign hard to ensure the victory of Gibo, she also told me to address all concerns involving the party,” she said.

Speaking to reporters later in the afternoon, Villarosa downplayed reports that Lakas-Kampi-CMD has become disunited following the sudden resignation of Teodoro as party chairman last week.

“We are one,” she said. “Lakas-Kampi-CMD is solid.”

From Linden, Mrs. Arroyo stopped by the nearby Discovery Suites to receive a manifesto of support for Teodoro’s presidential bid crafted and signed by 50 of the country’s more than 70 governors.

Antique Gov. Salvacion Perez said Mrs. Arroyo showed up at a meeting of the League of Provinces of the Philippines where a majority of members pledged their full support for Teodoro.

“In fact there’s a new group in the league now,” she said.

“The ‘Gobs’ for Gibs,” she added.

The group’s second name is “Team Palabra de Honor,” now headed by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, Perez said.

One governor described their encounter with Mrs. Arroyo yesterday as enlightening, following the confusion brought about by questions of party loyalty over the past weeks.

A governor, apparently confused following the resignation of Teodoro as party chairman, asked Mrs. Arroyo about persistent talks that she and the First Gentleman were supporting Villar.

The governor said Mrs. Arroyo told them to close ranks behind Teodoro’s candidacy.

“That’s why I am here,” the governor quoted Mrs. Arroyo as telling them.

“We are now more than sure… that we can deliver the winning votes for Gibo.”

The group now call themselves the National Caucus of Governors within the League of Provinces of the Philippines, the governor added.

Former Surigao lawmaker Prospero Pichay said Mrs. Arroyo has instructed the Lakas-Kampi-CMD members to intensify the campaign for Teodoro.

“The President’s instruction was to campaign for Gibo and make him win on May 10,” he said.

Pichay said Mrs. Arroyo also wants victory for Teodoro’s running mate Edu Manzano, along with the six senatorial bets of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“We should put an end to speculations,” he said.

“We should stop putting on print, radio and TV gossips and speculations.”

Since Lakas-Kampi-CMD control 70 percent of the nation’s 75 provinces, Teodoro and the other pro-administration candidates are already assured of victory in the May 10 elections, Pichay said.

Pichay denied reports that P90 million of the party’s campaign funds have been misused.

“The P90 million was not supposed to be given to the candidates,” he said.

The initial amount of P90 million was spent for campaign materials, media advertisements and other logistical requirements, Pichay said.

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesman Rogelio Peyuan said Teodoro remains the administration’s candidate until election day.

“We assure the people that come June 30, we will see a peaceful transition of power from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and whoever will win as the new President of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

In Albay, Rep. Edcel Lagman said the disinformation being spread against Teodoro shows that his campaign is having an impact.

“But I have a positive interpretation for that. It shows that the campaign sortie of Gibo is already creating a groundswell, that is why he is now being subjected to black propaganda,” he said.

Lagman is again running for Congress as representative of Albay’s second district.

Lagman said his political allies and supporters for the past two decades know that when he supports a candidate he supports him wholeheartedly.

Lagman said he also tends not to believe in surveys, as their impact is very small. He also said that Filipinos favor the underdog.

Teodoro urged voters not to believe unverifiable text messages, and that what’s important is not the surveys but the election itself.

He said such rumor-mongering was a desperate tactic.

“I don’t care about surveys anymore. I am going on my campaign regardless of the surveys.”

Teodoro also denied reports that Lakas-Kampi-CMD has a funding problem.

All parties have problems, he said, but in the case of Lakas which has some 15,000 candidates, “the people at the party have to decide and are smart enough to discern what is needed by the party.”

Teodoro also denied that the Garcias of Cebu have defected.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, meanwhile, also endorsed

Teodoro as the next president during a program at the Peñaranda Park Monday afternoon.

“This is a big day for us as we start the month-long celebration of the Magayon Festival with the next president of the country,” he said.

“He will not just be another president of the Philippines or even the best president the country will ever have but more than that – we will have the best Philippines under any other president.” – With Paolo Romero, Celso Amo