INQUIRER Global Nation

MANILA, Philippines?The ruling party?s declaration that Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is its standard-bearer is null and void, former House Speaker Jose De Venecia told reporters Thursday shortly before the poll body hears his petition to nullify the merger of administration parties Lakas, Kampi, and CMD.

De Venecia explained that the national executive committee that convened Wednesday is ?phantom? and the merger ?illegal.?

In a separate interview, presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio denied De Venecia assertions.

Claudio explained that the Lakas-Kampi merger exists as a political party registered with the poll body and that the declaration of the party's standard bearer by the executive committee is for consensus building only, which will be ratified later in a national convention sometime between October 21 and November 19.

He added De Venecia in fact was one of the proponents of the merger in 1998 and was only ?sourgraping? after he was booted out of the party.

Claudio is optimistic they will get the nod of Commission on Elections in their petition for registration and accreditation.

The Comelec Second Division is hearing the petition for registration and accreditation of administration parties Lakas ng Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD), United Christian Muslims Democrats (Lakas-CMD), and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi).

On July 21, De Venecia filed his 20-page petition for nullification stating ?there was no formal convention of all leaders nationwide but only a very informal gathering on March 10, 2008? when the merger was decided and its interim officials elected.

For his part, Comelec legal department director Ferdinand Rafanan said the merged parties? presidential bet will be ?non-existent? if the poll body decides to junk its appeal for accreditation and registration in favor of De Venecia's petition.

?There is a pending petition to nullify the merger of Lakas-Kampi-CMD filed by JDV [De Venecia]. If based on the hearing, the merger gets nullified and the party is not accredited, what would be the implications? The declared candidate will have no political party since the supposed three-way merger is non-existent,? said Rafanan.

As a result, the declared bet, in this case Teodoro, can run as an independent or the separate political parties can adopt him as standard bearer or field another candidate, he said.

Hearing for the petition for registration of the merger and the appeal to nullify the merger is in session.