Joker sees admin win in 2010 with opposition ‘disintegration’

BY DENNIS GADIL

SEN. Joker Arroyo yesterday said the administration’s standard bearer in 2010 is likely to win, with the irreversible disintegration of the "star-studded" presidential aspirants from the opposition.

Arroyo said the opposition is now beyond repair and is deeply divided into many factions with Sen. Panfilo Lacson dealing the final blow.

"With all the words said, exchange of words, it is very difficult for the opposition to reconcile. Harsh words were said which make it so difficult for them to be together again," Arroyo said.

"The presidential timbers are hopelessly divided. Divided now between Senators Lacson, (Mar) Roxas, (Loren) Legarda versus Sen. (Manuel Villar) and possibly President Erap," he said.

Lacson, Roxas, Legarda and Sen. Jamby Madrigal have joined forces in criticizing Villar for the P200 million double entry in this year’s budget for the C-5 extension project.

Villar’s allies include Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who is secretary general of Nacionalista Party of which Villar is president.

Arroyo said at the outset, the opposition was almost sure of capturing the presidency in 2010, but not anymore.

"If they were together you can imagine that group. Villar and Nacionalista. Roxas and LP. Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero NPC, then Partido ng Masang Pilipino of President Erap and the one of Jojo Binay which is UNO. Now, it’s finished," Arroyo said.

Lacson, in a statement, took exception to Arroyo’s allegation that he caused the rift in the opposition.

Lacson said the Senate was split as early as 2007 when some winning opposition senators decided to align with the pro-administration bloc to capture the Senate presidency with Villar at the helm.

"It was the clique of now Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. who, in a bid to ensure his hold on the Senate top spot, abandoned the real opposition, and not the other way around," he said.

Lacson also took a dig at Arroyo for engaging in diversionary tactics to throw the public off the real issue behind the P200-million mess, which is "corruption, plain and simple."

"This is not about politics. This is not about presidentiables. This is not about 2010, but this is about corruption," he said.

He also said Arroyo’s attempt to defend the double entry, armed with lack of personal knowledge on the issue, miserably failed.

Ramon Casiple, election analyst and executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform (IPER), said the rift between Lacson and Villar could be the beginning of the unofficial countdown towards the 2010 national elections.

"Whether he (Lacson) likes it or not, the angle of politics cannot be simply ignored because it is a question of timing," Casiple said, noting that Lacson’s exposé came soon after Villar announced his plan to run for president.

Casiple advised Villar and Lacson to face the issue squarely.

"They should both be gentleman enough to face the issue. If one has the accusations, he should stand by it and prove it. If the other one is denying it, then let him face the music and be given the chance to defend himself. That would be better instead of just muddling up the issue with various other accusations being made left and right," he stressed. – With Gerard Naval