PGMA Moves to Merge Administration Political Parties Lakas, Kampi

CLARKFIELD, Pampanga – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed today leaders of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) to take immediate steps to merge the two major administration parties, 17 months ahead of the 2010 presidential election.

In her speech at the National Executive Committee Meeting of Lakas-CMD here this morning, the President said the merger “will result in an effective consolidation of political support for government programs for economic stability and social equity, now when it is most needed.

She ordered ordered the “creation of a National Consolidation and Unification Committee, to be chaired by the Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabby Claudio.”

"This committee shall pursue the merger with Kampi and such alliances with other political parties and groups as are in the interest of the administration coalition," she said.

Aside from the merger, the President said the NCUC shall also "be responsible for determining and activating the criteria and mechanism for choosing our candidates for 2010."

"Let the findings and recommendations of that committee of Gabby reflect the mind and voice of our membership down to the grassroots level," the President said.

The President said the merger of the country’s two leading political parties would ensure that the administration remains "on the track and firmly focused on our vision of getting the country well on the road to First World by 2010."

"Our working together has been one of the major factors that have put the Philippines in the path of sustained growth and resiliency," she said.

"With our unity institutionalized in a merger, our proven political resilience and reform agenda will position the nation to sustain its gains," she added.

The gains the President cited were bannered by the growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) the country posted in 2008 as a result of the "hard decisions" taken by the administration, notably the implementation of economic reforms such as the expanded-Value Added Tax (E-VAT) Law in 2004.

The President also pointed out that despite the gloom cast by global financial crisis, "nine out 10 or 92 out of 100 Filipinos look forward with new hope to this new year."

"This is because the global financial crisis did not catch us unprepared or without reserves," the President said.

"Thank God and again thank our party, we were able to do this because half of the country's elected officials, including the President of the Philippines and the Speaker of the House, the Deputy Speakers and the Majority of Leaders of the House and the Senate, are LAKAS- CMD members," she said.

"Together we were able to make hard decisions – hard on our people at the time, unpopular with some big businessmen, but as events have shown, good for the country," the President added.

"Our preparations have so far shielded our nation from the worst effects of the worldwide crisis," the President said.

Source: Office of the President, Malacañang