Imelda Marcos' nephew replaces Bong Revilla as Lakas president

(Updated 2:56 p.m.) Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, a nephew of Former First Lady Imelda Marcos, on Tuesday replaced Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. as president of the opposition party, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).   Revilla, meanwhile, replaced Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman—who had falling out with the minority party last year—as Lakas CMD chairperson.   Romualdez said the change in the party leadership was in preparation for the May 2013 elections where the Lakas-CMD will field some 900 candidates for national and local positions.   “We work hard to ensure election of our local officials in their respective fields. We will ensure that we will support them so we can win most, if not all, positions,” Romualdez said at a press conference after the Lakas-CMD’s executive council meeting on Tuesday morning.   Romualdez is the youngest son of Mrs. Marcos’ younger brother, Benjamin. He was the sixth richest member of the House of Representatives last year, posting a net worth of P46.7 million.   In 2009, Romualdez supposedly hosted the controversial million-peso dinner for then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her entourage in a visit to New York. Mrs. Arroyo, who is seeking re-election as representative of Pampanga's second district in the upcoming polls, is currently detained in a Quezon City hospital for plunder raps. Revilla, who is being considered as the Lakas-CMD’s standard-bearer for the 2016 presidential polls, added that the new party leaders’ goal is to regain its stature as the ruling party. “For now, we are on our own. Basta ang gagawin namin, palalakasin namin ang aming partido. Kung paano kami makakatulong sa aming mga kapartido, iyon ang gagawin namin,” he said. Revilla also said that the party has not yet chosen which senatorial candidates to support in the upcoming elections. “We will decide a month before elections. Most probably, 50-50 sa senators. Some from the Liberal Party, some from UNA [United Nationalist Alliance],” he said. Romualdez said that the Lakas-CMD leadership will have to consult some of its party members at the local level before deciding which senatorial bets to endorse.— KBK, GMA News