vilma santos and ralph recto join noynoy-mar in LP – LAKAS-KAAMPI-CMD deteriorates further

when governor vilma santos and ex-senator ralph recto announced they will join the aquino-roxas team at the LP, the result was this – it’s not a pretty sight. that is for the LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD, the ruling/admin party of president gloria macapagal arroyo and the gilbert teodoro-edu manzano tandem.

governor vilma santos was the first and overwhelming choice of most of the admin/ruling party members one day the executive committee of the party they had chosen gilbert teodoro as standard bearer and ronaldo puno, DILG chief as its vice-presidential candidate.

the reaction or dissatisfaction the choice of ronaldo puno as VP candidate was almost immediate and universal. party members had the same reaction to teodoro but it was more restrained and came about a few more days after.

the ruling/admin party knew just teodoro alone will not put them to glory. in fact they instinctively knew they were done for, thus the clamor for santos. santos is still a popular actress, very much respected as one by her peers and by the public. not only that and this is probably her greatest asset – she has done very well as governor of batangas.

wanting santos to join teodoro was the miracle solution the party members were looking for. almost immediately santos made it known that she was not interested. days after the clamor started, vilma was non-committal. she said nobody has talked to her about it. this was very different from puno who before the announcement of his selection as VP was very clear in his desire to run for VP.

not only did santos refuse the ruling/admin party, she will now join aquino and roxas at the NP. that amounts to adding salt into an open wound. look at LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD now and it is not a pretty sight.

 its not only santos who will bolt the ruling/admin party, but her husband, ex-senator ralph recto too. recto bolting arroyo’s ruling/admin party is significant in itself as recto recently resigned as part of arroyo’s cabinet on the NEDA portfolio. this is very close to an arroyo team member defecting to the other side.

news reports have been coming out on the topic of a mass exodus of party members from the ruling/admin party LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD. recto and santos’ exodus from the ruling/admin party is the latest major proof of that conclusion.

Vilma, Ralph join Noy-Mar team, boost LP star power 
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:37:00 11/17/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The Noynoy and Mar show on Monday got an added dose of celebrity glitz with ex-Sen. Ralph Recto and his wife Vilma Santos joining the Liberal Party (LP).

Making the jump from the administration coalition, under whose banner the couple ran in the 2007 elections, isn’t because the popular actress and Batangas governor will star in an upcoming blockbuster celebrating the life of the late President Corazon Aquino.

“For next year’s presidential election, we want a political party that can promise an administration that is competent and truthful—one that can offer solutions to our nation’s problems,” Santos told the Inquirer Monday.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091117-236694/Vilma-Ralph-join-Noy-Mar-team-boost-LP-star-power