By Christine Herrera

Nationalist People?s Coalition, the political party headed by business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., is willing to coalesce with the ruling Lakas Christian-Muslim Democrats and Kampi.

Rep. Michael John Duavit, NPC secretary general, confirmed yesterday the merger talks among Lakas, Kampi and Cojuangco?s group.

?Yes, merger talks are ongoing but we may go only as far as to coalesce,? said Duavit. ?It is a political strategy for us to corner the votes from administration and opposition. We are in good terms with both camps, anyway.?

Duavit represents NPC in the ongoing negotiations with Speaker Prospero Nograles, Lakas president, and Rep. Luis Villafuerte, president of Kampi. Lakas and Kampi are both headed by President Arroyo.

But Duavit said Cojuangco?s party was not ruling out a merger with the administration parties if that would be in the interest of the country.

?The merger talks are still ongoing. Political negotiations are being done. Polarization of forces is now happening as we speak. I am sure we would come up with the solution as to what is best for the country?a merger or a coalition,? Duavit said.

Nograles earlier said the Lakas-Kampi-NPC merger would mean retaining the administration?s ?superiority? over the opposition.

Duavit said Cojuangco?s group was making a pitch for Senator Francis ?Chiz? Escudero, an NPC stalwart, as standard bearer of the three merged parties.

?In case a merger pushes through, Lakas and Kampi would carry Chiz [Escudero] as their standard bearer. What we are negotiating now is for them to support Chiz as their common standard bearer even if NPC would only settle to coalesce,? Duavit said. ?But we would understand also if they would field their own standard bearer.?

But Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, an NPC stalwart, said the NPC merging with the two administration parties could be divisive.

?Mergers are divisive. Our Constitution requires a multiparty system. Mergers contradict that mandate,? Plaza said.

Plaza said the country is facing an economic meltdown and that it would not help if disunity intensifies.

Duavit echoed Plaza?s statement and said the NPC wanted to retain its good relations with other parties such as the Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party and United Opposition.

?We believe that our standard bearer, whoever that the NPC declares, could unify the country. It is about time this nation gets united and threw our support behind a single leadership for us to defeat the impending economic meltdown,? said Duavit, also a ranking official of the NPC?s national executive committee.

For this reason, Duavit said the ongoing talks with Lakas and Kampi now zero in on who would be best fielded as the three parties? common candidates in the local elections.

?If we feel the candidates from either Lakas or Kampi deserve to be supported, then the NPC would not field a candidate against their bets. But if our candidates are stronger and more qualified than their bets, we would push for our candidates and we expect them also to support ours,? Duavit said.