CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid and Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao will both have to vie as the official bet of the Lakas-CMD-Kampi in the 2010 guber-natorial race, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, interim provincial chair of the merged parties, said on Friday.
Other party members who will aspire for the same post will have to submit to the selection process, Arroyo said when Punto Central Luzon asked who might likely be the official nominee after Guiao on Thursday announced his plan to run as governor.
“The party’s constitution says that the equity of the incumbent shall prevail. Since there is an absence of an incumbent because Governor [Eddie] Panlilio is not a member of the party, the municipal chapters will have to nominate the candidate. Galing sa ibaba ang nomination (The nomination will come from below),” Arroyo said when interviewed by phone in Floridablanca where he led the blessing of a school building built from his office’s funds.
Lapid or his spokesperson Bernie Cruz did not answer calls seeking the senator’s comments. Lapid, formerly the provincial chair of the Lakas-CMD, had told this correspondent last April that he would run for governor “no matter what happens.”
Guiao said he was “open to submit myself to the process.”
Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, also the president of the Pampanga Mayors League, said he had not yet made up his mind on whether to proceed with his gubernatorial plan.
Pineda and Guiao said they have “no feud” between themselves.
“I’m still assessing the pulse of the people,” Pineda said when reached by phone in Batangas.
A convention has not been schedule and this, he said, is “not a priority at the moment.”
“I hope they would iron out their differences among themselves [before the convention],” said Arroyo. He also chairs the Lakas-CMD-Kampi in the province’s second district and is also chair of the party in Central Luzon since last week.
According to him, he was selected for those positions because, “I’m not running for governor.”
Guiao, 50, might have the edge, though. A check on the roster of the PML showed that 20 of 21 mayors are leaders of Kampi.
While City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez is the lone Lakas leader, he has not allied himself with Lapid.
Most members of the provincial board, where Guiao serves as presiding officer, are with Kampi.
Three congressional districts are dominated by Lakas-CMD-Kampi through Arroyo, Rep. Carmelo Lazatin and Rep. Aurelio Gonzales. The lone Nationalist People’s Coalition leader, Rep. Anna York Bondoc is not an ally of Lapid.
Lapid is expected to bank on what is left of his popularity as a movie actor but will be hounded by corruption issues in the quarry tax collections during his three terms as governor from 1995 to 2004 and that of his son Mark until 2007. Under Panlilio, quarry revenues have shot up to P420 million in the last 25 months, so far the highest collection on record.
Other party members who will aspire for the same post will have to submit to the selection process, Arroyo said when Punto Central Luzon asked who might likely be the official nominee after Guiao on Thursday announced his plan to run as governor.
“The party’s constitution says that the equity of the incumbent shall prevail. Since there is an absence of an incumbent because Governor [Eddie] Panlilio is not a member of the party, the municipal chapters will have to nominate the candidate. Galing sa ibaba ang nomination (The nomination will come from below),” Arroyo said when interviewed by phone in Floridablanca where he led the blessing of a school building built from his office’s funds.
Lapid or his spokesperson Bernie Cruz did not answer calls seeking the senator’s comments. Lapid, formerly the provincial chair of the Lakas-CMD, had told this correspondent last April that he would run for governor “no matter what happens.”
Guiao said he was “open to submit myself to the process.”
Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, also the president of the Pampanga Mayors League, said he had not yet made up his mind on whether to proceed with his gubernatorial plan.
Pineda and Guiao said they have “no feud” between themselves.
“I’m still assessing the pulse of the people,” Pineda said when reached by phone in Batangas.
A convention has not been schedule and this, he said, is “not a priority at the moment.”
“I hope they would iron out their differences among themselves [before the convention],” said Arroyo. He also chairs the Lakas-CMD-Kampi in the province’s second district and is also chair of the party in Central Luzon since last week.
According to him, he was selected for those positions because, “I’m not running for governor.”
Guiao, 50, might have the edge, though. A check on the roster of the PML showed that 20 of 21 mayors are leaders of Kampi.
While City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez is the lone Lakas leader, he has not allied himself with Lapid.
Most members of the provincial board, where Guiao serves as presiding officer, are with Kampi.
Three congressional districts are dominated by Lakas-CMD-Kampi through Arroyo, Rep. Carmelo Lazatin and Rep. Aurelio Gonzales. The lone Nationalist People’s Coalition leader, Rep. Anna York Bondoc is not an ally of Lapid.
Lapid is expected to bank on what is left of his popularity as a movie actor but will be hounded by corruption issues in the quarry tax collections during his three terms as governor from 1995 to 2004 and that of his son Mark until 2007. Under Panlilio, quarry revenues have shot up to P420 million in the last 25 months, so far the highest collection on record.
