The Spectre of a Proxy President looms

The opposition is in disarray. They are fighting amongst themselves. The specter of a proxy president looms in the horizon.

What is preventing NPC Senator Chiz Escudero from formally declaring his bid for the presidency? Sources say, it's former president Joseph Estrada who reportedly asked his good friend, Danding Cojuangco a big favor. Cojuangco already publicized his response---he will support whoever his party, the NPC, wants as their presidential bet. And Chiz is it.

Chiz is a formidable opponent because he has the backing of the Tsinoy community as well as Danding's group.

Yet, there are talks that Loren Legarda wants to cross parties and partner up with Erap. Not a good move at this point. Legarda should stay with the NPC since she has a better chance of winning this time, with Kabayan Noli de Castro out of the picture. De Castro, as some friends say, is going back to broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the Noynoy-Mar camp is, as some alleged, self-destructing. Their relief operations went haywire. Some groups are reportedly frustrated over the seemingly "secretive" way the Liberal Party is managing Noynoy's campaign. Talks about Noynoy meeting Erap and Danding are beginning to affect the morale of volunteers within Noynoy's camp, especially those belonging to the reform groups.

Villar, as some alleged, is slowly running out of funds.

And organizers within all their parties are engaged in mini turf wars, not good for the reform movement.

Over at the administration camp, things are slowly being organized behind Gibo. Gibo's presence in all those affected flood prone areas will find its mark in the surveys.

The key to this is the NORTH. Whoever makes himself big or bigger in the rehab efforts in the North will clinch the presidency. And it seems that, for the meantime, the administration is shoring up some points.