Loren: Going for all the marbles in ’10

SEN. Loren Legarda will decide on her political plans for 2010 when she celebrates her 45th birthday on January 28 in her Malabon hometown.

Legarda said she considers as an early Christmas gift former President Joseph Estrada’s statement last Friday that she could be his running-mate should he decide to again seek the presidency in 2010 in case the opposition fails to field a single candidate.

Estrada, in a Christmas party for the media hosted by his son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, described Legarda as "having both beauty and brains."

Legarda indicated that she might turn down the offer. "Been there, done that. Kung ako man ay tatakbo, tatakbuhan ko yung pinakatuktok na pwesto," she said.

She ran with Fernando Poe Jr. in 2004. They lost to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro.

Legarda said she respects Estrada’s opinion that those lagging in surveys should decide to be a running-mate or abandon their presidential aspirations.

A Pulse Asia survey in October said if Estrada decides not to run, 21 percent of respondents said Legarda could be a shoo-in for the presidency while 20 percent said it’s a toss-up between Sen. Manuel Villar and De Castro. Sen. Francis Escudero was third with 17 percent.

Legarda and Escudero belong to the Nationalist People’s Coalition founded by businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., who ran for president in 1992 but lost to Fidel Ramos.

NPC sources said party leaders are eyeing an Escudero-Legarda or Legarda-Escudero ticket in 2010.

Sources said the party leadership is inclined to have Escudero as standard bearer.

They said in case Legarda refuses to slide down, they would apply the "Hillary Clinton" formula where she would get a powerful cabinet post in the event Escudero becomes president.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton was appointed Secretary of State by her democratic rival US President-elect Barrack Obama.

The sources said NPC is also said to apply its "Joe Biden" formula, pairing Escudero with a more senior running-mate who could be perceived as having no ambition for the presidency. Biden, a veteran Democratic senator with deep experience in foreign policy, was Obama’s running-mate.

The sources said the possible "veteran choices" are Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and Senate minority leader Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. of the PDP-Laban.

Younger vice presidential choices are also being considered, namely Senate pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada of PMP, Sen. Manuel Roxas of the Liberal Party and even Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. of Lakas.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has said that under the Constitution, Estrada is barred from seeking another elective post as he was deemed to have served his term in full prior to his ouster as president in Edsa 2. – Dennis Gadil and Jocelyn Montemayor