Pimentel: Danding not sure of draft

No full support from the opposition.

Businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco is not even sure of getting full support from the opposition if ever he seeks the presidency next year, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said yesterday.

"We will decide who to support. He may be (former) ambassador Cojuangco or another candidate," he said.

Without mentioning names, Pimentel pointed out there are other presidential aspirants who need support from the opposition.

Cojuangco founded the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), under which he ran and lost to former general Fidel Ramos in the 1992 presidential elections.

His supporters from the NPC, which is part of the administration People Power Coalition (PPC), claimed the former ambassador is sure of running again in next year’s presidential elections.

A big bloc of congressmen from the ruling party Lakas-CMD also wants Cojuangco to run under the banner of the administration party, while Sen. Edgardo Angara, president of the mainstream opposition party Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), prefers him as the common candidate.

A group of LDP congressmen led by House Minority Leader Carlos Padilla (Nueva Vizcaya), however, is supporting opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s bid.

If Cojuangco is not sure of winning the support of the opposition, it is also uncertain if Lakas would draft him.

Other presidential hopefuls from Lakas and PPC include Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senators Loren Legarda, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Juan Flavier and former education secretary Raul Roco of Aksyon Demokratiko.Sen. Robert Barbers said earlier the administration candidate should not be chosen solely by the ruling party, but by other members of the coalition as well.

He said factors such as "winnability and the candidate’s platform of government" should be the basis in choosing the administration’s presidential candidate.

Speaker Jose De Venecia emphasized the need to keep the ruling coalition intact to ensure victory in the May 2004 elections.

He said the different parties comprising the PPC and the Sunshine Coalition at the House of Representatives should field one common candidate.

Aside from Lakas, De Venecia said member-parties of the PPC, which include the Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, Reporma, Aksyon Demokratiko and Promdi, will hold a summit in the coming weeks to reach consensus for a common standard-bearer and draw a list of other candidates for 2004.