Don't take it hook, line, and sinker.

That was former President Fidel V. Ramos’ reaction to newspaper reports that “all is well” between himself and the Arroyo administration on the issue of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD merger.

The former president’s reaction was expected.

Not that the news accounts about the former President’s meeting with Malacañang emissaries was highlighted by a bottle of cognac which they sipped during their four-hour conversations at his Ayala-Alabang residence.

The cognac, a Hennessy, was brought along by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser on political affairs.

It was a game of feel-good politics.

The fact is that Ramos has serious misgivings about how the merger of two of the country’s biggest political parties was conducted.

He pointed to what he described as “procedural lapses” which he fears could spark international discord and complications because of Lakas-CMD’s alliance with the Christian and Muslim democrats worldwide.

“These ties to the international network of Christian and Muslim democrats,” he complained, “seem to have been overlooked in the rush to announce and proclaim the merger.”

The Centrist Democrat International and the Christian Democratic Union chaired by German Chancellor Angela Merkel are affiliates of Lakas-CMD.

Ramos who was the founding leader and current Chairman Emeritus of Lakas-CMD said, however, the merger had to be confirmed yet by the general membership and the national directorate before it becomes final and operative.

He suggested that the merger “must undergo complete staff work” by Lakas-Kampi-CMD to convince the general memberships of the validity and authenticity of such move.

Even so, preparations of the guidelines and procedures in the choice of the merged parties’ standard-bearer for the 2010 presidential elections are now underway and it appears the selection is now focused on only two of the presidential aspirants under the ruling party.

They are Vice President Noli de Castro and Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro.

This sounds paradoxical, preposterous at best, since both Teodoro and De Castro are not even party members either of Lakas or Kampi: Teodoro is a former National People’s Coalition party man while de Castro is an independent.

De Castro is being considered because of his consistent high ratings in political surveys for the presidency while Teodoro has openly made known his desire to be the next president of the country -- but only as official candidate of the ruling party and with the endorsement of President Gloria Arroyo.

Both are highly qualified for the position, of course.

Of course, there are other aspirants for the country’s top post such as MMDA Bayani Fernando who was the earliest to publicize his presidential ambition but his recent outburst against the merger of Lakas and Kampi has alienated him from the officials and general memberships of the party.

He said, “whoever advised President Arroyo that they can hold the merger without former President Ramos’ participation ay may butas sa ulo.”

Well, very often unintended consequences matter most, and I do not know how Bayani Fernando could exercise his freedom from responsibility for such highly censorious language without dissociating himself from the party.

(zhern_218@yahoo.com)