Cojuangco favors shift to parliament, but after polls

Balanga, Bataan — Businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco said here yesterday he favors a shift to the parliamentary system of government, but only after the 2004 presidential elections.

"We have to change the system of governance in our country," Cojuangco told a birthday gathering of Gov. Leonardo Roman at the Bataan People’s Center here.

Cojuangco spelled out his priorities in governance: generating jobs for the unemployed, meeting the needs of the education system and improving the country’s agricultural production.

He said that under the present system, the government spends 65 percent of the national budget for personnel expenses, salaries and wages, 25 percent for debt servicing and the balance for development projects.

Cojuangco is currently on a "listening tour" in the rural areas to survey his chances on the presidential derby next year.

In the first leg of the tour, Cojuangco led a delegation Monday in the Bicol Region, a known bailiwick of another presidential hopeful, former education secretary Raul Roco.

During the second leg yesterday, Cojuangco called on the Bataan townsfolk for help in "better governance."

He added his vision of ending big government spending by focusing on health, education and further promoting investor confidence in the country.

Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras, one of the Lakas congressmen supporting Cojuangco, said the businessman enjoyed seeing the crowd welcome him.

Paras, who accompanied Cojuangco here, said "Danding was very heartened to see the crowds, the expressions of encouragement and support for him to run."

According to former ambassador Ernesto Maceda, NPC president emeritus, Cojuangco got the support of 10 out of the 12 Bataan town mayors. He added 14 provincial board members also expressed their support as well as 199 out of the 237 barangay chairmen in the province.

Cojuangco founded the NPC, now in alliance with the administration party Lakas-CMD, when he took a first crack at the presidency in 1992.

Roman, for his part, said political leaders in the province decided to support Cojuangco after President Arroyo last Dec. 30 declared she would withdraw from the next year’s presidential race.

Roman said that among the other presidential hopefuls, Cojuangco is the most capable of managing the country, taking note of the businessman’s economic expertise as chairman of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the food and beverage firm now one of the world’s premier industrial giants.

"SMC was able to gain business headway despite the economic slump in the Asian region under Cojuangco’s leadership," Roman said.

Earlier, a group of local chief executives in Pangasinan also declared their support for Cojuangco following the declaration of Mrs. Arroyo not to seek a full term next year.

On the other hand, opposition Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said Mrs. Arroyo might eventually endorse the candidacy of Cojuangco.

Biazon, however, admitted the "confusing" political setup is being generated by statements from several presidential hopefuls.

"Nobody can predict that because there are words going around that there is a possibility that Danding may be even endorsed by President Arroyo. Take the administration differences, does anybody know whether Roco is running for opposition or as administration? So, politics in this country is a confused setup," he said.

He said the voters should wise up in selecting their candidates. "Because we could easily determine who will be asking for a pay back from the candidates once they win next year," he added.

"(If) you study political body languages, if you study political pronouncements, you will end up with a conclusion that anything can happen in Philippine politics," Biazon said.

Biazon said this is the principal reason why he is also supporting changes in the political system in the country.

Biazon said returning to the two-party system would change the political alliances in the country.

He also said Cojuangco cannot be called a "unity president" that could unite the opposition and the administration.

Many congressmen from Lakas, including those from the ruling coalition, have expressed their support for Cojuangco.

Several congressmen belonging to the mainstream opposition party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) led by Sen. Edgardo Angara, also announced their preference for Cojuangco as their unity president.

Biazon however said November would be the deciding month for the LDP.

"Let us wait for November, when we will have our convention. All of these will be clarified," Biazon said. - With Marichu Villanueva, Jose Rodel Clapano, Paolo Romero