CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – With the “Villaroyo” rumor still hanging thick in the air, Nationalista Party NP) vice presidential candidate Sen. Loren Legarda was pushed here yesterday to an awkward corner when a new-found political ally and supporter declared publicly that “we are supporting the congressional candidacy” of Pres. Arroyo.
Legarda was here at about noon over the weekend to meet in a local restaurant with her local leaders.
Among whom turned out Pampanga 4th district Rep. Anna York Bondoc, a former member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) who is seeking reelection under the NP, who was invited to share the presidential table with Legarda. It was their first meeting.
After announcing that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will soon officially approve the coalition between the NP and NPC, Legarda seemed taken aback when Bondoc, in her short talk, suddenly boasted “I am personally close to Pres. Arroyo” and that she is campaigning for presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo’s “AG”, referring to the Ang Galing Pinoy party-list group which has Mikey as its top nominee.
Legarda’s apparent discomfort seemed to have heightened as Bondoc further declared “we support her (Pres. Arroyo’s) congressional candidacy.”
Bondoc issued the statements during an open forum after the meeting in response to a query from Punto as to whether her earlier declaration to seek the post of House Speaker in the next Congress would dispel the so-called Villaroyo rumors. Earlier reports said that NP presidential bet Sen. Manny Villar is the alleged real candidate of Pres. Arroyo, and not Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro.
“Different people, different strokes,” Legarda said later when asked to comment on Bondoc’s declaration of her close friendship with and support for Mrs. Arroyo.
Saying that Bondoc was merely expressing her personal sentiments, Legarda nevertheless said she was not embarrassed by the incident as she claimed she didn’t even hear Bondoc’s declaration of support for the President’s bid for Congress in the second district of this province.
Bondoc earlier said in an interview that she was seriously interested in seeking the speakership of the House.
On Saturday, she said there was no basis to say that she would clash with the President on this, as she noted the Mrs. Arroyo has never made any statement indicating she is interested in the same post.
Hadji Acmad Ulama, president of the Association of Muslims of San Fernando, seemed to have spilled the Arroyo beans by addressing Legarda as Vice President Gloria.
Bondoc vowed support for Legarda’s vice presidential candidacy, saying Pampanga mayors would also support her.
At the same time, Legarda warned that the victory of Liberal Party presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and her vice presidential rival Sen. Mar Roxas would likely pave the way for continued “neo-liberal” economic policies that have opened the country to tariff-free goods that have killed local agriculture and industries.
“They are pro-foreigner in their outlook,” she said, citing Roxas whose pro-foreign stance could be gleaned from his support for the current 12 percent e-Vat and his espousal of parallel importation of pharmaceutical drugs that reduced the coverage of low cost medicines to less than the initially proposed 1,500 drugs.
Legarda was here at about noon over the weekend to meet in a local restaurant with her local leaders.
Among whom turned out Pampanga 4th district Rep. Anna York Bondoc, a former member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) who is seeking reelection under the NP, who was invited to share the presidential table with Legarda. It was their first meeting.
After announcing that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will soon officially approve the coalition between the NP and NPC, Legarda seemed taken aback when Bondoc, in her short talk, suddenly boasted “I am personally close to Pres. Arroyo” and that she is campaigning for presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo’s “AG”, referring to the Ang Galing Pinoy party-list group which has Mikey as its top nominee.
Legarda’s apparent discomfort seemed to have heightened as Bondoc further declared “we support her (Pres. Arroyo’s) congressional candidacy.”
Bondoc issued the statements during an open forum after the meeting in response to a query from Punto as to whether her earlier declaration to seek the post of House Speaker in the next Congress would dispel the so-called Villaroyo rumors. Earlier reports said that NP presidential bet Sen. Manny Villar is the alleged real candidate of Pres. Arroyo, and not Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro.
“Different people, different strokes,” Legarda said later when asked to comment on Bondoc’s declaration of her close friendship with and support for Mrs. Arroyo.
Saying that Bondoc was merely expressing her personal sentiments, Legarda nevertheless said she was not embarrassed by the incident as she claimed she didn’t even hear Bondoc’s declaration of support for the President’s bid for Congress in the second district of this province.
Bondoc earlier said in an interview that she was seriously interested in seeking the speakership of the House.
On Saturday, she said there was no basis to say that she would clash with the President on this, as she noted the Mrs. Arroyo has never made any statement indicating she is interested in the same post.
Hadji Acmad Ulama, president of the Association of Muslims of San Fernando, seemed to have spilled the Arroyo beans by addressing Legarda as Vice President Gloria.
Bondoc vowed support for Legarda’s vice presidential candidacy, saying Pampanga mayors would also support her.
At the same time, Legarda warned that the victory of Liberal Party presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and her vice presidential rival Sen. Mar Roxas would likely pave the way for continued “neo-liberal” economic policies that have opened the country to tariff-free goods that have killed local agriculture and industries.
“They are pro-foreigner in their outlook,” she said, citing Roxas whose pro-foreign stance could be gleaned from his support for the current 12 percent e-Vat and his espousal of parallel importation of pharmaceutical drugs that reduced the coverage of low cost medicines to less than the initially proposed 1,500 drugs.
