Four potential candidates are vying to fill the administration’s slot for the vice presidency in the 2010 elections, a party official said Monday.

Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said the administration party is considering Senator Loren Legarda and three other candidates to become the running mate of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Claudio said the choice of Legarda, however, will depend on whether Lakas-Kampi and Nationalist People’s Coalition would coalesce for next year’s national and local elections.

Legarda, who belongs to the NPC founded by businessman Eduardo Danding Cojuangco, had earlier announced she will run for vice president next year but declined to name the presidential bet she would campaign with.

Of the three other people being considered for the vice presidential post, Claudio said two of them belong to the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party and another one from the NPC.

He did not identify these potential vice presidential contenders although speculation is rife that Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Senator Francis Escudero may be among them.

As for the senatorial slate, Claudio said the administration party will likely field “less than a complete slate of 12,” even possibly adopting common candidates with the opposition.

“What is important is that we field only candidates with excellent chances of winning and committed to help win the presidency,” he said.

He said the ruling party is set to hold its national convention on November 19 in Manila to formally ratify and proclaim Teodoro as standard bearer, his vice president, and the senatorial slate.

A month after the selection of Teodoro as presidential bet, Claudio had said they are being deliberate in its selection of vice presidential bet due to “fluid and unpredictable” political landscape. The administration cannot craft its strategies independently of the developments outside its organization, he said.

Claudio however disputed talk that they are having difficulty in finding Teodoro’s partner in the presidential race supposedly due to his low popularity, saying they have a deep bench for such candidate.

He said the ruling party has also not ruled out to coalescing with other parties where the vice presidential candidate may come from.
Teodoro has consistently fared poorly in surveys of presidential aspirants while opposition candidates such as Senator Manuel Villar Jr. and former President Estrada dominate the polls.

Included in the administration’s possible list of senators are Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, former senators Ralph Recto and Tito Sotto III, Atty. Romulo Macalintal; Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chairman Efraim Genuino, and Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando.