| MANILA - Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. on Friday took his oath as member of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, which signals the start of his campaign to be selected as the ruling party's official candidate for the 2010 presidential election. Teodoro took his oath past 9 a.m. at the Lakas-Kampi-CMD headquarters in Greenhills, San Juan. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the party's national president, administered Teodoro's oath of membership in the presence of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD top brass including vice chairman House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. "I shall actively promote the ideals and programs of the party and exclusively support and campaign for the official candidate of the party in all the elections," Teodoro said as he took his oath of membership. The defense chief was a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition, a party led by his uncle Eduardo 'Danding' Cojuangco. Cojuangco said on Thursday that the party will be choosing between Senators Loren Legarda and Francis "Chiz" Escudero in next year's presidential election. Teodoro said in a radio dzMM interview on Thursday that he will respect whatever Lakas-Kampi-CMD's decision on its official presidential candidate. He said he will leave his political career's fate to the party. Aside from Teodoro, partymate Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando is also campaigning to become the party's official candidate. Some Lakas and Kampi members are also courting Vice President Noli de Castro to join the newly merged party and join its selection process for the 2010 elections. De Castro had said that he had already made a decision on whether he would run for president in 2010, but did not say if he intends to run under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party or remain independent.
as of 07/24/2009 4:06 PM
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