Country first, before party.

This was the reason President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is apparently keeping a safe distance from the problems plaguing the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party for now and instead is counting on party leaders to prevent its collapse with less than a month before the elections.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said the President is focused on her mandate to run the country, particularly complete her legacy projects, and not run the affairs of the ruling party.

Olivar, speaking to reporters in the Palace, said party leaders are capable enough to settle any conflict stemming from the imminent departure of House Speaker Prospero Nograles and other key allies from the ruling party and concentrate on ensuring the victory of standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro in the May polls.

“The President’s priorities are clear -- country before party. Her partymates should accept that,” Olivar said. “Running the party is a big responsibility. This is something that the President has rightly to leave in the hands of full time leaders like the current leadership of the party,” he added.

In case there is a need for Mrs. Arroyo to intervene in party affairs or have “presidential moments with the party,” Olivar said the President will do so.

Olivar tried to deflect the blame placed on Mrs. Arroyo, also president emeritus of Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, for the problems hounding the party following the resignation of some key allies.

“I don’t think the President can be faulted for choosing to prioritize governance. This is after all she was elected for. She was elected to run the country not to run her party. That’s not something that she should be criticized for,” Olivar said.

“If this has any effect on running the administration party, guess this is something that that is why the party leadership is there for, to take care of the possible fallout from a decision by the President,” he added.

Olivar said the President is just being “responsible” by prioritizing governance over her handling concerns of the ruling party. In explaining the President’s distance from party matters, he said the President has enormous task to complete her projects and leave a legacy before she steps down on June 30.

“I don’t think within the boundaries of her schedule, the time available to her, the resources available to her, she has a lot of room to do much more than finishing up her legacy and finishing
as many outstanding issues as she can,” he said.

Olivar however said he is unaware if the President has actually started to pursue backchannel efforts to keep the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party intact.

He assured though that the President would continue to with the ruling party “to promote an agenda for the country and not for the sake of making the party a powerful one.”

On the criticisms hurled by former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. against the administration party, Olivar said he hopes the Pangasinan lawmaker would “stay in the fold” and help move the organization forward “if he continues to have the best interest of the party.”