“We will have a merger of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino in the Western Visayas before the end of this month,” Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5th District) said yesterday.

Arroyo, who is KAMPI regional chairman, said the merger in Western Visayas is part of region-by-region moves to ensure a national merger before the 2010 elections.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo late last month called for a swift Lakas-Kampi merger.

She said she wanted the merged party to “face the electoral challenge of 2010 with righteousness and confidence.”

Gabriel Claudio, Arroyo’s political affairs adviser, said that with the merger, “We will be able to put up a single machinery that will hopefully support one set of candidates for the elections in 2010.”

Rep. Arroyo said, hopefully, the Nationalist People’s Coalition will be part of that coalition, which their leaders in Manila will have to discuss.

He said he remains part of the United Negros Alliance, a coalition of Lakas, KAMPI, and NPC among others in Negros Occidental, that has in previous elections fielded common candidates.

Asked whom the Lakas-KAMPI coalition will field for congressman of Bacolod City in 2010, Ricardo “Cano” Tan, Land Transportation Office National Capital Region head and long-time Arroyo ally, or Presidential Deputy Spokesman Anthony Golez, Rep. Arroyo said no candidate has been chosen yet.

But the solon said he has been informed that Golez has been campaigning for Senator Manuel Villar, Nacionalista Party president, who has indicated plans to run for president but is not part of the Lakas-KAMPI coalition so far.

He said their coalition has not chosen a standard bearer yet, and if Golez has ambitions of running for congress, he should refrain from campaigning for a presidential candidate now, Rep. Arroyo said.

Golez, when asked for his reaction, denied that he has been campaigning for Villar.

He also said he does not have a political party.

Perhaps the perception comes from the fact that his wife is very close to the Villars, but it does not necessarily mean that he will personally campaign for Manny Villar, Golez said.*CPG

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