The barrage of news announcing the oath-taking of Gilbert ‘Gibo’ Teodoro as full-fledge member of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD provides fresh indications a wide consensus among party officials and members has been growing to proclaim him the party’s standard bearer in next year’s presidential
elections.

Malacañang has said Teodoro’s joining the administration party was “good news,” and that he would be “an asset” to the political party.

It has been quite a while since officials and members of the newly merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD had been egging Teodoro to join the party, it said.

As must have been noted, the news about his forthcoming oath-taking as party member was accompanied by full coverage both in the news media and in party advertisements in print and in radio and television.

The oath-taking ceremony which takes place this coming Friday, July 24, at the party’s headquarters in Mandaluyong City will be followed by a rally and media coverage at the Club Pilipino in Green Hills, San Juan.

It will be the culmination of his expressed desire to join Lakas when he bared sometime ago his wish to run for president of the country under the administration banner and with the support and endorsement of President Gloria Arroyo.

This wish to run as official candidate of the ruling party and with the full backing of the President was probably the most crucial decision that immediately called public attention to his determination and sagacity – and perhaps sincerity of purpose.

That he said it in the midst of what was believed to be the lowest ebb of Gloria Arroyo’s popularity, surely, was critical because while it was widely being bruited about that whoever the President endorses would surely lose the elections, here is Teodoro seeking it to win the people’s approval.

It still remains to be seen whether the breadth of his vision extends to the true sentiments of the people but at least at the moment it appears to coincide with the perception of party officials and general memberships which is just right.

Except for Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority who much earlier proclaimed his presidential ambition, and who said he would block Teodoro’s entry in to Lakas-Kampi-CMD, most of the merged party’s officials and memberships are happy of the Defense Secretary’s defection.

Teodoro, it may be recalled, resigned from the opposition Nationalist People’s Coalition when he accepted his appointment to serve in the Arroyo cabinet.

When he takes his membership oath on Friday he would be a Lakas-Kampi-CMD party man and together with the rest of them will be proclaiming their campaign mantra, “Together we can beat the odds!”

With him at the forefront of the campaign trail.

(zhern_218@hyahoo.com)