LDP leaders in C. Luzon want Angara to run

OLONGAPO CITY — Leaders of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in Central Luzon have given party chairman and president Sen. Edgardo Angara "full authority" to choose the party’s candidate for president in next year’s elections.

They are also convincing Angara to reconsider his earlier declaration not to run for president.

"We don’t think it’s awkward for him to be given the full authority to choose the LDP’s presidential standard-bearer and yield to the clamor of party members for him to be the party’s official presidential candidate," Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain III, LDP chairman for Central Luzon, told the STAR yesterday.

"We are really convincing him to run."

Angara announced early this year he would not seek the presidency in the May polls after committing to support the Arroyo administration under a so-called "government of national unity" meant to revitalize the country’s poverty-stricken economy.

The LDP is the Philippines’ biggest opposition party.

Lacbain said party leaders from Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga arrived at this consensus in a recent regional party conference.

They also agreed that the party should begin selecting their candidates for president, vice president and senators, Lacbain added.

Regional party leaders have signed a resolution expressing their "faith in the leadership" of Angara., adding that the leaders "voluntarily cast their votes of confidence in his leadership and ability to steer the party towards victory in the 2004 national elections," Lacbain said.

At the same time, sources at the provincial capitol said the LDP in Zambales is expected to preserve its coalition alliance with Lakas at least for the gubernatorial post in next year’s polls.

Lacbain himself has declared he is not running against incumbent Lakas Gov. Vicente Magsaysay despite prodding by some of his party leaders to seek the post in the May polls.

"I have a good and active working relationship with the governor and I just want such working relationship to go on for the sake of the full development of the province," he said.

In Zambales’ first district, Rep. James Gordon Jr. who is on his last term is reportedly inclined to run for mayor of Olongapo City, whose mayor, his sister-in-law Katherine Gordon, is also on her last term.

The sources, said, however, that LDP leader Edgar Geniza is also contemplating to run for mayor of Olongapo.

Mrs. Gordon will reportedly run for Congress in the district without any perceived opponent so far.

In the second district, former LDP Rep. Antonio Diaz is reportedly planning to challenge incumbent Lakas Rep. Ruben Torres.