UNO to select presidential bet next month

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union , PHilippines  – Opposition leader and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay disclosed that the United Opposition (UNO) would meet this August to select a presidential candidate for the 2010 elections.

Binay, also UNO president, said the groups would also select the official candidates for vice president and senators.

“President Erap said we would meet this August. There are a lot of possible candidates from our group,” Binay, also president of Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP-Laban), told The STAR here yesterday after signing the sisterhood agreement between Makati and Agoo, La Union.

The presidential aspirants from the opposition are former President Estrada, Binay, Senators Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda.

Binay said that he would slide down and run for vice president if Estrada is chosen as the common candidate of the opposition.

“There are many candidates for the United Opposition. If Erap is chosen for president, hopefully I will (be the) vice presidential candidate,” Binay said.

Binay said he and Estrada are the genuine opposition partners who are not fooled by the various baits of the administration, not like other political leaders who are claiming to be real opposition leaders.

Binay challenged President Arroyo to announce that she would step down on June 30, 2010.

“She did not say it straight (in her State of the Nation Address) that she will end her term,” he said.

Mrs. Arroyo and her allies could be planning how they could retain her in power, he added.

Meanwhile, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco said the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has not started negotiations for a possible coalition with the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

He said NPC has no plan to join any political party and would field its own candidates in May 2010 including presidential, senatorial, congressional, and local positions.

“I think this is the winnable party in next year’s elections,” he said.

Cojuangco is the son of San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., founder and principal financier of NPC.

The elder Cojuangco founded the NPC in 1992 when he ran for president but lost to Fidel Ramos. His vice presidential running mate, Joseph Estrada, won and was elected president six years later.

Rep. Cojuangco reiterated that NPC is determined to field a presidential candidate in 2010.

“Our presidential ticket will either be Escudero-Legarda or Legarda-Escudero,” he said.

He was referring to Senators Escudero and Legarda, both NPC members.

He said rumors that Escudero is seeking President Arroyo’s support were the handiwork of the senator’s political enemies.

Cojuangco warned Escudero to expect more demolition jobs with the approach of the elections.

Besides NPC and Lakas, the two oldest political groups in the country – Liberal Party and Nacionalista Party – are expected to field presidential candidates. – With Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero