Danding not involved in NPC's coalition talks
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/07/2009 10:41 AM
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MANILA - Business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. on Friday denied that he is involved in the Nationalist People's Coalition's (NPC) talks with other political parties for the 2010 national elections.
"Hindi ko alam. Sila na ang bahala. Hindi na ako nakikialam," Cojuangco, NPC's chairman emeritus, told ABS-CBN News at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The NPC founder and chairman of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) said he was leaving for the United States for a medical procedure.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, president of the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD, earlier said that they are in talks with the NPC for a coalition in the May 2010 polls.
Ermita said Lakas-Kampi-CMD secretary-general, Gabriel Claudio, and standard-bearer Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro are engaged in coalition talks with NPC officials.
Teodoro left the NPC to join the Lakas-Kampi-CMD because of his presidential aspiration.
Ermita said the negotiations have been going smoothly, and the "party leadership might just succeed in enticing or talking successfully with the NPC to join... the majority party."
Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, who was supposed to be the NPC's presidential bet for 2010, has also left the party.
Ermita has hinted that Escudero is a viable running mate for Teodoro. The executive secretary, however, has made it obvious in recent statements that the Lakas-Kampi-CMD would prefer Senator Loren Legarda, another NPC member, as Teodoro's running mate.
Cojuangco said he has also stopped meddling into the NPC's selection process for candidates. He declined to reveal the reason behind Escudero's resignation from his party.
Aside from the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, the Nacionalista Party (NP) is also courting a partnership with the NPC.
NP's standard bearer, billionaire senator Manuel Villar Jr., had said that he will announce next week his running mate.
Legarda, who had said that she will not run with an administration candidate, said Villar's camp is also courting her.
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