Administration's presidential bets for 2010 down to 3

MANILA, Philippines - The search for the administration standard-bearer for the 2010 elections has been narrowed down to three that includes Vice President Noli de Castro and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Malacañang officials revealed yesterday.

Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde in separate interviews also did not discount the possibility that the third still unnamed candidate would come outside of the ruling coalition.

De Castro ran as an independent in the 2004 elections but joined the administration ticket of President Arroyo. He has been consistently at the top of the latest surveys.

Teodoro, a Harvard-trained lawyer, declared his intention to join the selection process earlier this month.

His announcement was well received within the administration but his name has yet to be included in public surveys.

“I believe the (selection) process (for standard-bearer) has narrowed down to three,” Claudio said.

“The vice presidential candidate (however) will depend on final choice for president and negotiations with allied parties.”

Claudio said the criteria in selecting the administration’s presidential bet would be the “winnability” of the candidate, track record, support for Mrs. Arroyo and her administration, and “presidential qualities and qualifications.”

Claudio said consultations with regional, provincial and district leaders of the different political parties in the ruling coalition are in progress while internal surveys are being conducted and validated.

“As it has been mentioned in the past, politics is the art of the possible, so it will not even be impossible that there will be people from the outside (the ruling coalition),” Remonde said.

Claudio added the administration’s senatorial lineup would come from incumbent administration senators, political allies, Cabinet officials and third-term congressmen.

He said the administration is fortifying its Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Lakas-Kampi) machinery through an arbitration process “with the end view of fielding only one set of candidates at the local level.”

“Thus our local candidates will not be distracted by adversity within the same party or coalition therefore better able to help our national candidates in respective areas,” Claudio said.

Claudio stressed efforts are being made for the administration to have the strongest possible local and congressional candidates.

He said the candidates would be chosen with proven record of supporting the President in previous elections.

“We are also fighting efforts of the opposition presidentiables to raid administration ranks even as are succeeding in expanding ours,” Claudio said.

Remonde added the administration candidates are those “whose performances are proven.”

“The best politics is good public service,” he said.