ZAMBOANGA CITY – A prominent member of the business sector has called on all opposition groups to form a united front to ensure their victory over the administration bets in next year’s national and local elections.

In a recent consultation with various groups here, information technology (IT) businessman Joey de Venecia III is specifically training his sights on attempts by the family of President Arroyo to continue and expand their sphere of influence by taking as many seats as possible at the House of Representatives and in other electoral positions.

The maverick businessman and IT expert suggested that all the presidential candidates of the opposition should work together to find common candidates in the areas where the Arroyos are seeking reelection.

“They may be campaigning against each other, but the camps of Erap Estrada, Noynoy Aquino and Manny Villar could field common candidates against congressmen Iggy and Dato Arroyo, and most especially President Arroyo,” he said.

De Venecia said he realizes that all the opposition parties already have candidates in the localities where the Arroyos are in power. He said the opposition parties can agree to back the candidate with the best qualifications and best chances of beating the Arroyos.

The younger De Venecia first captured the country’s imagination when he stood up and testified in the anomalous multi-billion-peso NBN-ZTE broadband transaction which prompted the government to abort the deal.

He stressed that President Arroyo’s decision to run for Congress is a clear manifestation of her desire to continue with what he described as her “reign of greed.”