Vice President Manuel “Noli” De Castro Tuesday said he will finally reveal his plans for the 2010 national elections on or before Sept. 15.

This declaration came even after the Lakas-Kampi-CMD gave the Vice President one week to decide whether or not he will join the selection process for the administration party’s standard-bearer in next year’s presidential election.

“I understand the need for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition to announce their presidential candidate at the soonest possible time. Nobody from the party has actually given me a deadline and I express my gratitude to them for respecting my desire for discernment,” the Vice President added.

De Castro pointed out the Sept. 15 date that was mentioned in news reports is actually within the period that he gave himself to decide on his plans for 2010 Lakas-Kampi-CMD spokesman Gabriel Claudio earlier said De Castro was aware of the time line — including the Sept. 15 deadline — in the Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s selection process.

De Castro, who became popular as a TV news anchor, continues to remain coy about his plans for the coming May, 2010 elections.

He was the first independent senatorial topnotcher, having been elected senator in 2001 garnering more than 16 million votes. Likewsie, he was the first elected independent Vice President.

As a senator, De Castro authored Senate Bill No. 2029 or the "Local Government Transparency Act" which aimed to end corruption through transparency measures in the local government units as well as the Senior Citizens Act.

Claudio had said that Sept. 15 was the “deadline” set by the party “for presidential aspirants seeking the administration coalition’s endorsement to join the party and its selection process.”

He said that if De Castro would not join the selection process, Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s standard-bearer would be a toss-up between Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.