Meet Your Candidates: Puno throws hat in Veep Ring Circus

Local government secretary Ronnie Puno has made an otherwise tepid race for the vice presidency interesting. Puno surprised a lot of people when he threw his hat in the ring for the country´s second highest seat as the official representative of the administration coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD in the May 2010 national elections.

Puno, now co-vice chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, is best known (or infamous, depending which side of the political fence you sit), as one of the country´s best and smartest political strategists. On top of that formidable resume, Puno also wields a powerful clout through the Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG) which supervises local government units (LGUs) and the Philippine National Police(PNP).

On top of his impressive track record spanning over 35 years in business, media and public relations, diplomacy and public administration, the incumbent DILG Secretary also has successfully parlayed his expertise in getting three of the last Philippine presidents into Malacañang - Fidel Ramos in 1992, Joseph Estrada in 1998 and Gloria Arroyo in 2004.

Said Puno: "I have always been known as a campaign manager rather than a candidate. But with the experience and loyalty I showed everyone that I served, I will be able to help the next president lead this country beyond 2010 into continued prosperity."

Puno´s declaration during the Kampi-Lakas caucus was actually preceded by the unanimous approval of several resolutions by the Kampi National Council, including one committing the party to abide by, and support, a unified Lakas-Kampi CMD standard bearer and slate of national candidates for the May 2010 elections.

Puno asked his party mates to refrain from formally endorsing him as Kampi´s vice-presidential candidate during the caucus because they have to honor their commitment to abide by the final decision of Lakas-Kampi-CMD and support whoever becomes its chosen national candidates.

Puno said he would submit himself to the nomination process of the merged Lakas-KAMPI CMD and abide by whatever decision is reached by the unified party and support whoever is chosen as its vice-presidential candidate "like a good soldier". However, he quickly added: "But I will work very hard to get the nomination."

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada described Puno as a "formidable candidate for vice president," while Sen, Juan Miguel Zubiri noted that the DILG chief would be a "big asset" to the administration ticket "kahit sino pa sa mga nangungunang kandidato bilang president ng Malacañang ang maka-tandem nito (whoever he teams up with from among Malacañang´s leading candidates for president.)

Puno first served as Assistant Secretary and Head Executive Assistant at the Office of the Secretary in July 1974 (then known as the Department of Local Government and Community Development or DLGCD). He also served as program director of the Barangay Brigades and chairman of the Performance Audit Team of the DLGCD.

The current Interior secretary was also a member of the Tripoli Technical Committee during the Philippines´ negotiations with Libya on the Muslim Mindanao issue in 1977.

In May 1982, Puno was appointed minister-counsellor of the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington DC. He also served as Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication and was later named Deputy Minister of the Office of Media Affairs.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino calls a Noli de Castro-Ronnie Puno administration tandem "ia dream team" because it combines mass appeal and political organization skills.

Another of the presidentiables being considered by Lakas-Kampi CMD, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro likewise welcomed Puno´s entry in the 2010 race, saying that a Gibo-Ronnie ticket would be a "very strong" combination for the country.

Teodoro, whom Puno worked closely with at the height of the Sulu hostage crisis, noted that being a public servant "throughout his professional life" will allow the DILG secretary to make greater contributions to the country—and makes him the most qualified vice presidential candidate in the 2010 polls.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles, now Puno´s co-vice chairman in the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said that he would personally support Puno as the unified party´s vice presidential bet in 2010.

Even staunch anti-administration critic, former Ambassador Ernesto Maceda, also described Puno´s declaration in one of his columns as "a smart move."

Puno briefly left the government service to become the first Filipino to work as senior political consultant at the prestigious Black, Manafort, and Stone& Kelly firm from 1989 to 1991. He was also consultant at the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company for two years and chairman of the Board of Administrators of Broadcast City from 1992 to 1993.

He served as a consultant of Micron Public Affairs Co. and president of Micron Overseas Marketing before returning to the DILG on July 1998 under the administration of former President Estrada.

Ronnie Puno was DILG undersecretary until 1999 and also sat as chairman of various attached agencies of the department as President Estrada´s representative, who was then the DILG chief in a concurrent capacity. Estrada named Puno as DILG Secretary in April 1999 and stayed in his post until January 2000.

He left the government service to return to his private endeavors after his stint at the DILG but made a political comeback in 2004 as member of the House of Representatives representing the first district of Antipolo City.

Puno earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the Ateneo de Manila University and Masteral Credits from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

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