Barbers: Any Lakas bet can beat Lacson

Any presidential candidate to be fielded by the ruling Lakas-NUCD party will easily defeat prospective opposition candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson in next year’s elections, administration Sen. Robert Barbers predicted yesterday.

Barbers was reacting to claims by the Lacson camp that the administration party was running out of presidential contenders, it had to invite former ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco to carry its colors in the forthcoming elections.

"We have a surplus of good presidential materials in Lakas-NUCD. My prediction is that any candidate that the Lakas-NUCD will field in the 2004 election can easily beat Ping Lacson," said Barbers, Lakas-NUCD’s vice president for Mindanao.

Earlier, Lacson’s spokesman, former immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, said Cojuangco’s name as potential presidential candidate cropped up after Lakas-NUCD leaders "realized that they do not have a winnable candidate whom they can pit against the powerhouse potential candidates from the opposition."

Rodriguez said attempts by the Lakas-NUCD to float Cojuangco as their probable candidate were a "desperate measure aimed at disrupting and rocking the boat of the opposition."

Cojuangco is chairman emeritus of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which, along with Lakas-NUCD, is a member of the pro-administration People Power Coalition (PPC).

Some 50 Lakas-NUCD congressmen, including Barbers, have petitioned Cojuangco to run for president in 2004 under the PPC umbrella.

In an interview with The STAR, Barbers said they endorsed Cojuangco not because Lakas-NUCD has a shortage of candidates but because they believed in Cojuangco’s qualifications and leadership qualities.

"I am confident that any candidate of Lakas-NUCD will defeat Lacson. Lalo na kung si Cojuangco pa (More so if it is Cojuangco)," Barbers said, pointing out that Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), placed only 10th during the last senatorial elections.

"They should first examine themselves how they figured in past elections," Barbers said.

Rodriguez made the comment about the Lakas-NUCD when he issued a statement to deny reports that Lacson was willing to give way to Cojuangco should the latter decide to run as the standard-bearer of the opposition in the 2004 elections.

"For sure, Senator Lacson has nothing against former ambassador Cojuangco but he wants to correct the impression that he already dropped his own bid this early even as the opposition has yet to meet and discuss the process on how to select the common standard-bearer in next year’s elections," Rodriguez said in a statement.

Rodriguez further clarified that contrary to reports, Lacson did not enter into any agreement with Cojuangco during their meeting one and a half weeks ago.

"In fact, Mr. Cojuangco even encouraged Senator Lacson to push through with his presidential bid hinting that he would even support him all the way," Rodriguez bared.

Rodriguez claimed it was Cojuangco who told Lacson that he has no plans of taking a crack at the presidency because he is "quite satisfied with what he is doing at the giant business conglomerate, San Miguel Corp."