Noli backers urging him to team up with Roco

After proposing a possible team up with movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., supporters of neophyte Sen. Noli de Castro are now pushing for a pair-up with former education secretary Raul Roco for the May 2004 presidential elections.

Supporters of "Kabayan" led by Isko Katibayan of the "Kabayan for President Movement" said they are pushing a team up with Roco should De Castro decide to seek the vice presidency.

Katibayan, however, said their group still believes De Castro will seek the highest elective position in the land and it will be a matter of time before the senator will make the announcement.

He described De Castro as a "very untraditional politician" to make the announcement and file his certificate of candidacy for president at the last minute on Jan. 5.

"He could run as vice president but we are convinced he will run as president. We are still urging Kabayan (De Castro) to run for president," Katibayan said.

"We believe that he can easily beat FPJ (Poe) and GMA (President Arroyo) considering his popularity and credibility particularly on the youth sector," he said.

Katibayan said De Castro filed his certificate of candidacy for senator when he ran as an independent in the 2001 elections and yet garnered 16.1 million votes or about five million votes ahead of Sen. Juan Flavier.

Asked why they would want De Castro to pair up with Roco, Katibayan said both Roco and De Castro excelled in their respective fields and had working-class parents.

"Both of them have farmers as fathers. Both of them also excelled in their respective fields, one in government (Roco) and the other in broadcasting (De Castro). In terms of service, they would make a very powerful tandem," Katibayan said.

He claimed Roco’s camp has been wooing De Castro to pair up with the former senator as his running mate.

"They (Roco’s camp) has long considered Kabayan as vice president. He is at the top of their list," Katibayan said.

No Done Deal

Meanwhile, Katibayan denied reports that De Castro has agreed to team up with Mrs. Arroyo for the May elections.

Two ranking Malacañang officials earlier told The STAR that De Castro has agreed to be the running mate of Mrs. Arroyo.

The Palace officials said the tandem is already "a done deal" even as some ranking members of the ruling party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats dismissed the supposed Arroyo-De Castro tandem as a "trial balloon."

"There is no truth to the story that Kabayan Sen. Noli De Castro has agreed to be the running mate of President GMA. There are only ongoing talks and nothing is final," Katibayan said.

Lakas stalwarts led by Sen. Robert Barbers said the reported teamup is not true since a large number of his party mates are endorsing him to be the party’s vice presidential candidate.

Another vice presidential candidate in the ruling party, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, said he remains hopeful that he will be selected by Mrs. Arroyo and the party.

Fernando made the statement following reports that Lakas has already pruned down to two their choices of who will be Mrs. Arroyo’s running mate.

Radio reports mentioned yesterday that during the birthday party of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. last Christmas Day, he was quoted as saying that they have already narrowed their choices of the possible running mates to two.

Fernando said it was obvious that De Venecia is favoring one of them. "Kampi naman si Speaker De Venecia kay Senator Barbers," he said.

He vowed to implement the example he made when he was three-term mayor of Marikina City.

Fernando said he has set an example in Marikina and MMDA in "showing development and political will,"

He said the country is going through a "critical phase in the road towards political maturity."

"The results of the May 2004 elections may cause a positive change for the country or mass disillusionment," Fernando said. – With Nikko Dizon