President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is unfazed by the departure of some political allies, including most recently Albay Governor Joey Salceda, and has directed loyal party members to intensify the campaign for administration standard bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa said the President is a “strong lady” who can deal with the decision of Salceda, one of her economic advisers, to support Teodoro's rival, Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno Aquino III.

“I’m sure whatever is happening, the President can take it because she’s a strong lady,” Villarosa, new chairperson of the ruling party, told reporters in the Palace. “I would think that the President would know how to handle it. She’s a strong President,” she said.

So far, Villarosa said the ruling party has not been officially informed by Salceda about his resignation but insisted they would naturally respect his decision.

“I would think that Governor Joey Salceda would inform us accordingly if there were any changes in his position to the party.  Meanwhile we leave at that, we consider him as a member of the party. If it happens that he decided otherwise, then we will have just to deal with it,” she said.

Villarosa also refused to speak ill of Salceda even though he initiated the so-called Team Palabra de Honor within the administration party to work for the victory of Teodoro.

“We don’t want to comment on this because this is in way putting him on the spot. We don’t want Governor Joey in the spot saying his palabra de honor is not working at this time,” she said.

Villarosa, in an ambush interview with reporters, took a swipe at Salceda for pushing the so-called Team Palabra de Honor during a meeting of the party’s executive committee last week.

“He is one of those who stood up. He was very passionate when he said that the palabra de honor team will remain intact, will work for Gibo. He was the one making all these speeches then in Discovery Suites,” she recalled.

Despite the decision of Salceda to leave the party, Villarosa said the administration could still rely on Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and other allies in the province to campaign for Teodoro and the rest of the administration ticket.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, meantime, said the Cabinet remains united behind the administration standard bearer despite the decision of Salceda.

“I’ve been talking practically all members of the cabinet supporting the President and of course the administration ticket,” Mendoza said in the same press conference.

If party members have any concerns about the campaign operations of the group, Villarosa said they should immediately contact the party officers for immediate resolution.

“We are hands-on when we talk to them. We ask them to to call us anytime so that any concerns that they may have regarding the party can be immediately addressed,” she said.

Asked if the President has to play a more active role in keeping Lakas-Kampi-CMD together, Villarosa said the party leaders can handle the situation although they continue to give her updates on developments.

She said the President’s latest instruction to the party is to “do what you have to and campaign and see to it all matters requiring attention is attended to.” “We all have our areas of responsibility and we are all working,” she added.

Villarosa said they intend to discuss other party matters with the President when she returns from her two-nation foreign trip later this week.

Salceda who personally confirmed that he is leaving the administration party in favor of the Liberal Party, said in a statement that "last Monday evening, I accepted the challenge of my Ateneo classmate Noynoy to become the Bicol Regional Chairman of the Liberal Party. My task is to make him win in Bicol on May 10."

Salceda said he was supposed to formally announce his move on April 20 but news reports of a defection of a key ally of President Arroyo to LP camp has seemingly prompted the Albay governor to make the announcement a week early.

Aquino himself earlier announced that the administration party will be surprised by the move of one of its key allies.

Salceda has been the top economic adviser of Mrs. Arroyo and has been actively campaigning for Teodoro in Bicol in the past weeks.

Sources in Albay said the possible shifting of allegiance of Salceda to LP has already been circulating in the province for the past days.

"News has overtaken me as I would have wanted and asked the LP for sufficient time to make the proper notices to Lakas leadership, local leaders and Ma'am PGMA," said Salceda.

"I would like to thank them especially our dear President for the unique opportunity to work with them in the field of public service, economic policy and social reengineering," he added.

But Salceda stressed that he does not want that his decision to align with LP would trigger mass defections of local administration members in Bicol.

In fact, he revealed that even Aquino, his running mate Mar Roxas and the rest of LP leaders have agreed that the support system in Bicol which he had set up for Teodoro remain intact.

"The only thing that changed is that I would now campaign for Noynoy for President. Everything else remains the same," said Salceda. (with a report by Aaron Recuenco)