MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not only stay away from administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro's sorties, but will give him free rein to mount his own campaign, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Thursday.
"I don't think she will do that [join Teodoro's sorties],'' Ermita said. "As she said, she wants to concentrate on governance.''
In a break with tradition, Ms Arroyo did not raise the hands of Teodoro and his runningmate, actor-TV host Eduardo Manzano, during their November 19 proclamation rally at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Since then, some observers have noted an apparent attempt by the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD not to make them share the same stage.
After Arroyo filed her certificate of candidacy for Pampanga's second congressional district last Tuesday, the former defense secretary said he should be judged on his qualifications only, not on his ties with Arroyo.
Ermita, however, defended Teodoro and said he was free to run his campaign according to his own style and strategy.
"He's his own man. Traditionally, he becomes the chair of the party, and therefore, he's going to run his campaign in accordance with his own style and strategy,'' he told reporters.
As the party standard-bearer, "he's going to push through with his campaign in the manner that he sees fit,'' Ermita added.
According to Ermita, only one thing is expected of Teodoro: "To do good in campaigning for himself and Edu Manzano, and for that matter, all the candidates under the party: congressmen, governors, vice governors, mayors, councilors.''
Ermita, chairman of the party's advisory council, doused speculation that Teodoro was consciously trying to distance himself from Ms Arroyo, who has stirred controversy with her candidacy for Congress.
"Gilbert Teodoro is a very intelligent person. He's very capable, as shown by all the mock polls after every debate among presidential candidates. He can stand and think on his own,'' he said.
And the best instance that Teodoro showed his independent-mindedness was when he recommended the expulsion of members of the Ampatuan clan from the party in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre, Ermita said.
"Did Gibo [Teodoro’s monicker] have to ask Malacañang when he said we're expelling the Ampatuans from the party? No. We did it on our own as a party. That's how independent-minded Gibo is. He's his own man,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Teodoro pushed for a "national covenant of peace and cooperation'' among national candidates to avert election-related violence.
"All those who will play a crucial role in the elections should respect and deal peacefully with other key players in the electoral process, including journalists, teachers, electoral watchdog groups, watchers and voters all over the country,” he said in a statement.
The covenant could be hammered out and signed under the auspices of the Moral Force Movement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, party officials said.
http://gibo.ph/updatefull.aspx?key=UnuM4kLrfWHCO24wp71sgWZiIJb+04BSe2bXaZ8H44wjY02czBa2jg==
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted: 12/4/2009
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