VIGAN CITY, Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, a presidential aspirant, expressed confidence that Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando would accept defeat if he lost in the selection process for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate for next year’s elections.
“Bayani is a responsible man, he will accept the result of the convention,” Teodoro said when asked if his rival would make things hard for the Defense secretary if he is not chosen as Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer.
Fernando has been criticizing officials of his party for allegedly giving special treatment to Teodoro, a former Tarlac congressman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) who is not a member of either Lakas or Kampi.
The MMDA chairman, the administration party’s vice president for Metro Manila, wants the party’s selection process to be confined only to Lakas-Kampi-CMD members.
Teodoro was a member of the NPC bloc in Congress before he was appointed defense secretary.
He and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Fernando, Sen. Manny Villar and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno were the special guests of deputy national security adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson during the celebration of his birthday here yesterday.
Ambassadors from China, Italy, Venezuela, Cuba, Bangladesh, Chile and Thailand also graced Singson’s birthday party.
Fernando, when asked about his tough stance against squatters and sidewalk vendors, said that he is merely enforcing the law.
“Enforcing the law is not a crime, not enforcing it is a crime,” he said in justifying his eviction program on illegal settlers and vendors in Metro Manila.
He seemed to have gotten an endorsement from Singson when, in a separate interview, the former Ilocos Sur governor said that what the country needs is a benevolent dictator.
“He must be sincere and not after money. We don’t have discipline,” he added in justifying his call for a dictator.
Singson laughed when he was reminded that his description of a leader fits Fernando.