"Kailangan mag-organize ka ng machinery sa buong Pilipinas. Kailangan organized ka. Important iyan sa mga survey na dikit-dikit ang mga presidentiables (You need to organize a machinery that will cover the whole Philippines. You need to be organized)," Isabela representative Rodolfo Albano III, member of the newly merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda.

Albano said de Castro's popularity, as shown in Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations surveys, is not that high compared with the other presidential aspirants. He said he can increase his chances if he chooses the Lakas-Kampi-CMD machinery.

He said de Castro can win the 2010 presidential election as an independent if he has a "tsunami" vote. He said the tsunami vote happened in 1998, when former president Joseph Estrada won by a landslide against former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, who was supported by the Lakas-CMD political machinery.

Albano, meanwhile, said many Lakas-Kampi-CMD members still hope that de Castro would join the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party and join the selection process for the 2010 presidential and national elections.

He said Lakas-Kampi-CMD cannot just appoint de Castro as the party standard-bearer unless he joins the selection process and becomes an official member of the ruling party coalition.

"It would be unfair for the others, particularly Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro who is taking his oath of membership on Friday," Albano said.

He added that de Castro has a big chance of being selected as standard-bearer because he has many allies in the Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition.

In an interview over dzMM, de Castro said he acknowledges the capability of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD's political machinery, but doubts that it would be fully used for his presidential bid if ever he joins the party and is selected as the standard-bearer.

"I have great respect for the Lakas-Kampi leadership, and I believe that they are a strong party... I believe that they have a strong machinery but it does not mean that it will be very useful for a candidate," de Castro said.

Asked when he will formally announce his presidential run, de Castro said he sure that he will not seek a re-election for the vice-presidency. He said he is already done with his "on-the-job" training and is ready to move to another position.

He said he has already made a decision about his political plans in 2010, but declined to reveal more details.

"Marami pa akong option. Mahaba pa naman eh. Binibilang ko, 10 months pa para mag-eleksyon (I have so many options. It's still a long way to go. It's still 10 months before the elections)," de Castro said.

He said that, in the meantime, his objective is to add more accomplishments as vice-president and chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).