Lakas-Kampi merger backed

Senior lawmakers from the administration coalition yesterday expressed support to the order of President Arroyo for the immediate merger of the ruling Lakas-CMD and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) in preparation for the 2010 presidential elections.

Speaker Prospero Nograles, Lakas president, said the planned Lakas-Kampi merger would pave the way for a stronger administration ticket in the polls.

“It may not be 100 percent, but a majority of provinces, cities and districts will be merged. That’s our plan.”

Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, another Lakas stalwart, said the ruling party is keen on merging with Kampi, the country’s second largest political party that Mrs. Arroyo formed when she was still a senator in 1997. “We at Lakas are for merger.”

Presidential adviser on political affairs Gabby Claudio, chairman of the committee within Lakas that will take up the merger with Kampi, was given two weeks to report to the Lakas executive committee the results of the merger efforts.

“We have to wait for that. But we are looking forward to the merger of the two major political parties. The merger is possible. It has happened already in two regions in Region 11 (Davao) and Region 1 (Ilocos), it can also be possible in other regions,” said Datumanong, Lakas vice president for Muslim communities.

Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros Magsaysay, another Lakas member, expressed support for the merger. – With Mike Frialde, Paolo Romero