Vice President Manuel “Noli” De Castro has told the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party to proceed with its process of selecting a standard bearer, saying the ruling party’s timetable does not fit his own.

Lawyer Jesse Andres, De Castro’s chief of staff, told the Manila Bulletin Monday that the Vice President will need one more week to decide about his plans for 2010.

“The Vice President does not see the need to rush things because it is too early,” Andres said in a telephone interview.

The administration party earlier gave the Vice President until September 15 nidnight to decide whether or not he will join its selection process for the party’s standard-bearer in the May 2010 presidential election.

Andres said De Castro has not discounted the possibility of running for the highest office in the land despite earlier reports that the Vice President is not interested.

Sources said there are other political parties wooing De Castro to be their standard bearer.

As this developed, scores of De Castro’s supporters trooped to his office to convince him not to withdraw from the presidential race.

Media network ABS-CBN, on the other hand, declared that the Vice President is welcome to go back to his career as broadcaster should he opt not to run.

De Castro pointed out that the September 15 deadline being quoted in the press is actually within the period that he gave himself to decide on his plans for 2010.

“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.

Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, who is also the administration party’s secretary general, had said that De Castro must first join the party if he wants to be chosen as its standard bearer.

Meanwhile, Lakas-Kampi-CMD yesterday also assured that “democracy will prevail” when its national executive committee votes on its choices for presidential and vice presidential bets.

Party spokesman and Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez gave this assurance to Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando even as other party leaders welcomed the reported entry of Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos in the vice presidential race.

Should she enter the fray, Santos will be challenging Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno for the party’s vice presidential nomination.

“He may not participate if he believes the party will not give him a fair shake. But I assure him democracy will prevail and the choice will be made based on how party officials rate him as a leader of the country,” Alvarez said, referring to Fernando.

Fernando had aired fears that favoritism will mar the choice for the party’s presidential bet.

“Everybody will be treated fairly,” countered Alvarez.

Absent De Castro, Fernando and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro have emerged as the party’s only possible presidential nominees.

Reps. Elpidio Barzaga of Cavite and Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City also welcomed the entry of Santos in the vice presidential race, saying that she is qualified and has a good chance of getting the post in 2010.