Trade and Industry Secretary and LP stalwart Mar Roxas said this yesterday at the weekly press forum at the Sulo Hotel.
Roxas said Mrs. Arroyo is not on the "menu" of preferable candidates, as the party hangs onto the Dec. 30, 2002 vow made by Mrs. Arroyo that she will not seek a fresh mandate in 2004.
This developed despite a recent Malacañang announcement that the Chief Executive is still seeking divine guidance on her final decision on whether or not to recant her vow.
However, Roxas said that his personal sentiment on the matter is that "President Arroyo is still my bet."
"The President should run," he said. "She should reconsider her decision."
Roxas’ oft-repeated call for Mrs. Arroyo to join the 2004 presidential derby is anchored in his belief that that is the "stabilizing element to the present situation."
"This is not the first time I made this statement," he said. "I have often made this (statement) and this is my personal opinion."
The LP will convene "in several months or sooner to resolve these preferences for candidates, executive and legislative," the Trade secretary said. He was non-committal when asked about his possible senatorial candidacy in next year’s elections.
"President Arroyo is not included in the menu, as she has taken herself out of the race. You know you can only choose from the menu," he said.
When asked who were on the LP "menu," Roxas mentioned former Education Secretary Raul Roco of Aksyon Demokratiko and "those who have expressed intentions to run in 2004."
LP president and Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad earlier mentioned the names of Vice President Teofisto Guingona of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. of PDP-Laban as possible LP bets.
Roxas said the LP has coalesced with Lakas-CMD, Reporma, Aksyon Demokratiko and other political parties under the People Power Coalition (PPC).
He added that the LP will remain part of the PPC despite reports of several opposition parties uniting under the banner of opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara’s Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) party.