MANILA, Philippines?Speaker Prospero Nograles is not running for another office but is considering a return to private law practice when he completes his third and final term as representative of Davao City in 2010, the House leader said on Saturday.

Before doing so, however, Nograles said he intended to take on the role of ?general campaign manager? for the administration and Lakas-CMD coalition in the 2010 national elections to help avert another debacle like the one it suffered in 2007.

?I am not interested in seeking a national position in 2010. I want to retire from politics and get back to private practice,? Nograles told the Inquirer yesterday.

The Lakas president doesn?t think his bowing out of politics and the sphere of political influence would hinder his efforts at getting local party leaders nationwide to support their national candidates.

?It?s harder to convince (people to) campaign for others and yourself at the same time. Just concentrate on (campaigning for) others and not yourself,? Nograles said.

He confirmed ?the game plan? detailed by one of his public information officers.

?In recognition of where Lakas-CMD stands right now, there are plans by Speaker Nograles to assume the additional role of general campaign manager for both the administration and Lakas-CMD,? said Ed Malay of the Center for Issues and Advocacies.

?(He) has laid out his plans to organize the party?s campaign organization as soon as possible so that the party can have a head-start going into the 2010 presidential elections. The plan is to set up the party?s campaign organization down to the local level,? he said.

Malay, a spokesperson for former President Fidel Ramos, Lakas chair emeritus, is also part of the public and media relations team hired by Nograles to improve the image of the House of Representatives.

Lakas failed miserably in 2007 when it managed to win only one Senate seat, the 12th and last one at that, in the person of Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Malay said Nograles intended to change the practice of bringing in campaign managers from outside the party who were shunned by local political leaders who didn?t want to take orders from nonparty members.

?This is what Speaker Nograles wants to change, especially if the objective is for Lakas-CMD and the administration to retain control of the government. Speaker Nograles proposes to organize the campaign structure by the second half of 2008 with him as general campaign manager since he is not aspiring for any national elective position,? Malay said.

?And the Speaker believes he enjoys a positional advantage to generate support for the administration?s standard-bearers,? he added.