MANILA - Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Arthur Defensor Sr. downplayed Monday several defections of several Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslims Democrats (CMD) members in the province of Iloilo.

Defensor said Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas left Lakas-Kampi CMD after the party chose to back Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr.'s bid for re-election next year. Treñas broke his ties with Lakas-Kampi CMD last week after announcing his decision to run for Congress in the lone district of Iloilo City.

"[Treñas] left not because of the ratings of Lakas or the president or the weakness of the candidates of Lakas. The party could not accommodate Treñas' plan to run for congressman because a plan to split Iloilo City's congressional district into two was not approved," he said in a dzMM interview.

Defensor said Gonzalez's father, former justice chief Raul Gonzalez, will run for mayor of Iloilo City.

The House majority leader said Iloilo Vice-Governor Rolex Suplico left Lakas-Kampi CMD because of his close ties with Sen. Manuel Villar and his Nacionalista Party. He said Suplico will be running for the congressional post in Iloilo's 5th district.

Defensor also revealed his plan to run in the Iloilo gubernatorial race next year against Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul "Buboy" Tupas, son of incumbent Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. He said the elder Tupas will be running for congressman next year. 

Defensor said Villar was the leading presidential contender in Iloilo before being overtaken by Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III after the latter announced his presidential bid in September. "There are no bailiwicks right now. It's still a long way from the elections," he said.

Lakas-Kampi CMD party secretary Gabriel Claudio on Sunday described as erroneous news reports of an exodus of members from the ruling coalition.

Claudio said that two of the so-called "major defectors," Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Cavite Governor Erineo "Ayong" Maliksi, are "not and have never been Lakas or Kampi members). Lim, he said, was a former member of the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), while Maliksi is already a member of the LP.

Maliksi and his allies in the provinces recently joined the LP, while Lim, although not officially an LP member, is reportedly aligning with the party.

Claudio also said movements of party members are "natural" parts of the political process.

"In other instances, true, there have been defections among local officials and there may even be more. But these are natural and expected consequences of party intramurals and fall-outs from the party's selection process for local candidates," Claudio said.

"Those not chosen or will imminently not be chose will naturally seek shelter with other political partiers or other presidential bets. The admin party is definitely not left with any void at the local level," he said.

He said that these defections help the party, because they will be "spared the agony" of having to arbitrate local conficlts, leaving the party with a "single, solid and formidable lineup of candidates" who could better help the national candidates in their areas in the 2010 elections.

He again reiterated the analogy of "shedding off excess weight," saying that the party will "enter the ring leaner, meaner, and in its best fighting form." (Read: Like Pacquiao, Lakas-Kampi shedding excess weight: Claudio http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/02/09/pacquiao-lakas-kampi-shedding...)

Claudio's statement came after Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II claimed a mass movement of Lakas party members, including key administration allies, to the Liberal Party (LP) on Saturday. (Read: 3 administration allies join LP http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/07/09/3-administration-allies-join-lp)

The LP said key administration allies in the local level, including Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza, Pangasinan Rep. Victor Agbayani, and North Cotabato Rep. Bernardo Piñol, took their oath of membership on Friday.

The opposition party said the three officials brought along with them 125 local leaders affiliated with the Lakas-CMD.