Roco to name running mate on Nov. 30

Presidential aspirant Raul Roco is set to announce on Nov. 30 the vice presidential and senatorial candidates he will be running with in next year’s elections.

"We are looking for people who can help us bring about change for our country. We’ll name them in time," he said, adding the announcement will be made in time for the national convention of his Aksyon Demokratiko party.

Roco is considering former Cebu governor Lito Osmeña, Senators Noli de Castro, Loren Legarda and Manuel Villar and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando as his running mate next year.

However, the choice for the vice presidential nomination will be the result of a consensus among Aksyon Demokratiko and its two allies, Reporma of former defense secretary Renato de Villa and Osmeña’s Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative (Promdi), Roco said.

Roco is confident that he will do better in next year’s polls because of the backing of Reporma and Promdi, which he said can swing at least nine million votes in his favor.

Despite the lack of a political machinery, Roco made a strong showing in the 1998 race, placing third behind Joseph Estrada and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

President Arroyo appointed Roco as education secretary shortly after she replaced Estrada, who was ousted in a military-backed popular protest in January 2001.

In August last year, however, Roco resigned in a fit of anger after Mrs. Arroyo endorsed an investigation into alleged improprieties in the use of Department of Education funds to publish posters bearing his photograph.

He complained that Mrs. Arroyo lacked basic courtesy in informing him about the probe but mended fences with Mrs. Arroyo in March.