Lakas may choose 2004 bet via secret vote

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Former President Fidel Ramos said yesterday "a secret voting process" would be considered to choose the pro-administration standard bearer in next year’s presidential elections.

"Consultation of the first step and when that is finished and there is a secret voting process that is completed, we will know who are the most winnable and therefore best qualified to run as the majority party’s standard bearer," he said.

In an interview, Ramos, who is Lakas NUCD-UMDP president emeritus, said the chosen presidential candidate must be able to "stand up as equals or even better than (US President George W.) Bush, (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair, (Malaysian Prime Minister) Mahathir Mohamad" and other leaders in the region.

"Ours is a country of 80 million Filipinos with certainly qualified people, younger ones with better preparation, with wholesome experience," he said.

The Lakas presidential candidate should have "vision and a bit of management experience, and minimum education, even only through self-study," he added.

Ramos talked with The STAR during the launching of the Philippine International Furniture show at the Expo Filipino theme park at Clark Field.

Earlier, Conrado Limcaoco, PPC spokesman, said presidential aspirants within the People’s Power Coalition (PPC) have until December to "float" their names before President Arroyo announces the pro-administration coalition’s standard bearer in next year’s elections.

He said Mrs. Arroyo, who chairs the coalition, will announce on December the presidential candidate of the PPC, which is comprised of Lakas, Liberal Party (LP), Aksyon Demokratiko, Kampi, and Reporma.

"As of this time everyone in the PPC can float themselves as the party presidential candidate, that is democracy," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo is also chairman of Lakas, Kampi and the LP.

Limcaoco was reacting to the endorsement of various presidential aspirants identified with the PPC, among them former education secretary Raul Roco and Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Flavier.

Roco, who heads Aksyon Demokratiko, has been endorsed by by his supporters, while Flavier is being supported by multisectoral groups led by Francis Reyes of Let’s Doh It Again for President Movement.

However, Flavier said he will await the surveys of the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia, which are set to be released on April, before he responds to the clamor of his supporters.

If he fails in the surveys, he would not run in the presidential elections, Flavier added.

Other PPC presidentiables are Senators Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Loren Legarda and Manuel Villar Jr. for vice president.

Supporters of Magsaysay and Villar have not yet made any announcement on their plans to run for president.

Senators who will run for president will retain their Senate seats even if they lose in the elections.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who is also a presidentiable, had forged an alliance with the PPC in the 2001 elections but he was later eased out of the coalition.

Former ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojunagco has also emerged as a possible presidential candidate of the pro-administration coalition after 50 Lakas congressmen urged him to run in next year’s elections. — Ding Cervantes