By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

REPUBLICAN Party President Thomas B. Pangelinan and the GOP board of directors tried to convince the Precinct 1 club officers to include former Rep. David M. Apatang on its list of six House candidates, according to Precinct 1 club chairwoman Ana S. Teregeyo.
Teregeyo said Pangelinan and the other GOP board members met with the precinct officers at the Chalan Kanoa Beach Club at 12 noon on Friday last week.
Pangelinan, in a separate interview yesterday, confirmed that he and the board of directors met with Precinct 1 officers on that day, and that they talked about the selection of the House candidates.
He declined to elaborate, however, saying he does not want to say anything that may stir up trouble in a party that they have been trying to unite.
Apatang earlier said that he respected the Precinct 1 club’s decision.
Teregeyo says she appreciates Apatang’s statement.
She said during the meeting with the GOP board, the Precinct 1 officers defended their selection of House candidates.
“We have nothing against Apatang,” Teregeyo said.
With her during the meeting were precinct club vice chairman James Cabrera, secretary Ronda Fleming-Nogis and party member Richard Seman.
Teregeyo said those involved in the selection of the Precinct 1 candidates “were impartial and objective.”
Pangelinan, she added, was concerned about party unity.
The GOP board of directors still has to endorse the candidates selected by the precinct clubs.
“It’s up to them whatever they want to do with (our slate),” Teregeyo said.
She acknowledged that Apatang has consistently topped previous House elections in the precinct, and this could help other Republican candidates.
Apatang was not included among the Precinct 1 GOP candidates because he did not submit his bio-data to the precinct officers.
The leader of the Republicans in Precinct 4 who is disputing the legitimacy of the current GOP board said Apatang could have appealed the decision made by the Precinct 1 club officers.
Kapileo, at the same time, said Apatang’s decision to honor the Precinct 1 club’s final selection should be commended.
But he said any attempt by the GOP board of directors to nullify the Precinct 1 club’s decision will be “a violation of the party’s bylaws.”
The bylaws, he said, expressly assign the selection of House candidates to the precinct clubs.
He said the submission of nominations to the board does not give it the power to nullify or reverse the precinct club’s decisions.
The word “endorsement,” Kapileo said, is “in reference to a technical statutory requirement wherein the candidates would have to be certified by the president and secretary of party.”
The entire controversy could have been avoided if the board established a uniform criteria for the selection process, Kapileo said.
The basic issue facing the party appears to be the inability of the board to unify the membership and adhere to the GOP bylaws, he added.