Lakas creates 2 committees to choose standard-bearer

The ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party has formed two screening committees to select the administration’s local and national candidates, including its standard-bearer in the 2004 elections, newly appointed presidential adviser on political affairs Hernani Braganza said yesterday.

The Lakas-CMD, though, has not yet abandoned its call for Mrs. Arroyo, the party’s national chairman, to reconsider her Dec. 30, 2002 declaration not to seek a full six-year term as president.

Meanwhile, Malacañang shrugged off reports that business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, titular head of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), has not yet made up his mind on making a bid for the presidency next year.

"We will not comment on that and just leave their political future on their own," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said yesterday.

But presidential liaison officer on political affairs Jose Rufino told The STAR that Speaker Jose de Venecia has been trying to set a meeting with Cojuangco to discuss the continuation of the existing Lakas-NPC coalition for next year’s elections.

A number of Lakas-CMD congressmen earlier came out to publicly support Cojuangco’s presidential bid.

Braganza said the Lakas-CMD has created a committee that would select the candidates for the party’s 12-member senatorial slate and elective posts in local government and congressional districts.

Another committee was formed to pick the candidates for president and vice president from the members of Lakas-CMD who have expressed their desire to run in case Mrs. Arroyo does not change her mind.

"It’s really entirely up to the President. She has already made the personal sacrifice not to run. The party is just asking her to reconsider," Braganza said.

"As a party member, we respect her decision. As far as the Lakas is concerned, we have many aspirants who can fill in for her," he said.

Braganza identified Senators Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Juan Flavier as among the first Lakas-CMD members to publicly air this desire. He did not say if the two aspirants would be viable candidates to win in the presidential race.

The President insisted there are "more worthy candidates" in the Lakas-CMD best fit to run for the presidency.