Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. has reiterated his loyalty to the administration party after the election of three new key party officials, including Deputy Speaker Rep. Ma. Amelita "Girlie" Villarosa who was named new chairwoman.

Teodoro is willing to abide by the party rules and regulations in connection with his candidacy in the May 10 presidential elections, said Atty. Mike Toledo, Teodoro’s spokesperson, in a telephone interview Thursday.

Toledo said Teodoro was in an "upbeat mood" when they talked over the phone Thursday morning, claiming that the swift action taken by the Lakas-Kampi-CMD leadership would eventually put an end to the speculations of disunity within their organization.

"He mentioned that the election of new leaders of Lakas should now put an end to intrigues that affect the administration party," Toledo said.

Toledo emphasized that the 45-year-old Teodoro respects the decision of the party in electing Villarosa as the new chairperson of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

The former defense secretary earlier explained that he resigned as party chairman to allow him to focus his attention on his campaign for the presidency. With only less than 40 days before Election Day, Teodoro is still lagging behind in poll surveys among the nine candidates vying for the highest position in the government.

"Definitely, we will be in a full throttle when our campaign activities resume after the Holy Week," Toledo said.

Teodoro, along with his running mate Edu Manzano and six senatorial bets, are slated to conduct their sorties in the cities of Tabaco, Naga, and Iriga in Bicol on Monday and Tuesday where they will be met by local government leaders belonging to the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

As this developed, Raul Lambino, who is among the six senatorial candidates of the ruling party, also expressed relief on the speedy resolution by the party officials of the leadership vacuum that was triggered by the sudden resignation of Teodoro as chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

Aside from Villarosa, who is a staunch ally of President Arroyo, also elected to new positions were Francis Manglapus, who quit as secretary general but was elected as new president, and Ray Roquero, the ruling party’s new secretary general. Roquero, a former sports writer of the Manila Bulletin, was the former deputy secretary general of the ruling party.

Lambino said as new chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Villarosa should now make sure that party funds should reach the local officials since they are now in the final stretch of the campaign period.

He explained that the primary role of the party chairman is to source out funds for the candidates of the administration party while the president and the secretary general are in charge of the operational requirements for the campaign.

Lambino refused to comment on whether or not Teodoro’s resignation was triggered by the controversy on the lack of campaign funds but he admitted that he himself has not been receiving appropriate budget for his political sorties.

With regard to Manglapus and Roquero, Lambino pointed out that the two are proven leaders of the administration party.

Villarosa vows to rejuvenate Lakas
Newly designated Lakas-Kampi-CMD chairperson and House Deputy Speaker Ma. Amelita C. Villarosa vowed Thursday to leave no stone unturned in the party’s bid to rev up its much-vaunted political machinery to guarantee victory for the ruling party’s presidential candidate, Gilbert Teodoro Jr., and the 12,900 party members running for various posts in the May 10 elections.

At the same time, Villarosa issued marching orders to ignore intrigues sown by rival parties and concentrate on campaigning strongly for Teodoro, vice presidential candidate Edu Manzano and the party’s six-man senatorial ticket

Villarosa assailed reports that have "maliciously claimed that Gibo" resigned as party chairman as an act of protest against First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s alleged endorsement of his presidential rival, Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party.

The reports claimed that the President’s husband had made a call to the politically-influential Garcia clan of Cebu to ask them to drop their support for Teodoro and instead back Villar.

Villarosa said she made inquiries into the veracity of the report and discovered this to be a mere "political hoax," which she said is part of the disinformation drive to polarize Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

On the other hand, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, eldest son of President Arroyo, dismissed the reports as an attempt to confuse the public.

"Garcias are for Gibo. Alvin Garcia is different from the clan of Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia," the young Arroyo said.

Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado summed up his comment by declaring the report as mere "intrigue."

Villarosa said she will let Teodoro and other concerned party allies come up with statements on the issue, adding that she will, in the meantime, concentrate in ensuring that Lakas-Kampi-CMD will dominate the May 10 elections.

"We have reached the critical point of the campaign. We have to go down to the barangay level fast, we have to attend to the needs of all candidates to make sure of victory on May 10," she said.

Villarosa buckled down to work barely 24 hours after the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national executive committee held an emergency meeting at the St. Luke’s Hospital and elected her chairperson, replacing Teodoro.

Also elected were erstwhile secretary general Francis Manglapus to fill in the post left vacant by resigned president, Saranggani Gov. Rene Miguel Dominguez; and Ray Roquero, who took over as secretary general.

Villarosa said among those present in the meeting were senior party officials headed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno; Local Water Utilities Authority chairman Prospero Pichay; Reps. Elpidio Barzaga (Cavite); Danilo Suarez (Quezon); Martin Romualdez (Leyte); Antonio Alvarez (Palawan); and Jose Aquino II (Agusan del Norte).

Immediately, after the meeting, Villarosa directed the party secretariat to contact party leaders to determine their needs as she pointed out that "now is the right time to address all their concerns."

She called for another meeting of the national executive committee, this time to thresh out the local party needs and draw up plans for a strong push for the candidacy of Teodoro and the Lakas-Kampi-CMD ticket.

"Despite glaring attempts to sow intrigue into our ranks, the party has remained solid. At least 70 percent of all candidates running in the May 10 elections are card-bearing Lakas-Kampi-CMD members who are loyal to the party and its cause," said Villarosa. (Ben Rosario)