Guingona still undecided on ’04 plans

Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. will have until Monday to decide whether to accept offers for him to run again in the coming elections despite his earlier declaration that he was no longer interested in seeking an elective post.

Monday will be the last day for filing certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

As of yesterday, negotiations were reportedly still ongoing on the possibility of Guingona joining the senatorial ticket of movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., a member of Guingona’s staff who requested anonymity, said.

The vice president himself could not be contacted yesterday. "Everything is still fluid. Talks are still going on," the source said.

Earlier, Guingona told The STAR that despite his declaration that he is no longer interested in an elective position, he has been getting various invitations from both the administration and the opposition to lead their respective senatorial tickets.

He ruled out the possibility though of joining the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) slate, citing his resignation from the administration party last Oct. 1 over several policy differences with President Arroyo herself.

But another source, also closely identified with the vice president, said Guingona is not likely to accept any offer to run for the Senate even from the opposition camp.

He said the initial talks held between Guingona and Senators Edgardo Angara and Vicente Sotto III, two of Poe’s principal backers, touched on the possibility of Guingona being the opposition’s vice presidential candidate.

Guingona was supposed to provide the experience in government service that would complement Poe’s popularity, the source said.

But the negotiations apparently did not prosper as Poe chose Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda as his running mate.

Also yesterday, Rod Reyes, head of the media bureau of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), announced the names of the party’s 12 senatorial candidates and Guingona’s name was not in the list.

Included in the KNP ticket were re-electionist Senators John Osmeña and Aquilino Pimentel Jr., former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Francisco Tatad and Ernesto Herrera, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla, Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos, Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim, former youth commission head Amina Rasul-Bernardo and former presidential adviser Jamby Madrigal.

Another STAR source also theorized that Poe may still change his mind regarding his choice of running mate because of reports that several sectors from the opposition camp were not in favor of Legarda.

Guingona and presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson are reportedly still being considered as alternative choices for Poe’s running mate.

During the launching of the Bangon! movement last Nov. 20, Guingona declared he would not run in the coming elections and just concentrate on leading Bangon!, a multisectoral, mass-based nationalist movement that will pursue government reforms, particularly in the areas of public corruption and social inequities.

Reports said that former executive secretary Renato de Villa, whose political party is backing the presidential bid of former education secretary Raul Roco, also met with Guingona recently and tried to convince him to join Roco’s camp.