Ruling coalition trying to reign in Roco

Despite the reported rift between President Gloria Arroyo and former Education Secretary, Raul Roco, the ruling People's Power Coalition (PPC) is still not losing hope that the highly popular ex-Cabinet member could still run under its banner in the 2004 elections.

Presidential Liaison for political affairs, Jose Maria Rufino, yesterday said Roco might be out of the Arroyo cabinet but he is still a potential candidate in 2004.

He added that he can even be a good running mate as vice-president for Arroyo should she run in the next elections for president.

Rufino, in a telephone interview, said Roco is as good as other PPC senators who has the potential to be the next vice-president.

"Definitely he is good material just like Senators Noli De Castro, Juan Flavier and Loren Legarda, but we have not taken that issue up since our party convention for the 2004 polls is scheduled for next year," he noted.

He added that the country still has a lot of problems to be addr-essed and coalition members of the PPC, particularly the People Power-National Union of Christian Democrats-Union of Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP), are not in a hurry to prepare for the 2004 polls.

The ruling coalition is trying to reign in Roco, who was allowed by Arroyo to resign Thursday three days after he announced his intention to quit the Cabinet after the President endorsed a corruption investigation against him.

Before Arroyo ordered the probe, Roco topped an independent survey for likely presidential candidates, placing him well ahead of the incumbent president who placed third in the poll.

The ex-Cabinet member also shunned calls by the presidential palace to place him in another executive position.

Roco's own party, Aksyon Demokratiko (Democratic Action Party), is also a member of the PPC and there is intense speculation that the party would break away from the coalition, causing a massive political polarisation within the ruling union.

Political observers however, said Roco, despite quitting the cabinet, seems unlikely to allow his Aksyon Demokratiko party to leave the PPC.

"It is obvious that Roco still has ambitions to run for whatever post in the 2004 elections. Unless he intends to run in his own political stronghold in the Bicol region, he still needs the PPC machinery if he is aiming for a national post," an analyst said.

Last Saturday, the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP, an influential PPC member, expressed its overwhelming support to Arroyo.

"The party is overwhelmingly supportive of President Arroyo. I am making this declaration to put an end to the intense jockeying for position which is negative, divisive, premature and unnecessary," said House Speaker Jose De Venecia, vice-chairman of Lakas-NUCD-UMDP.