LAKAS-Kampi Show Strenght in Cebu

 While Malacañang was not looking, Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar has quietly gained the support of the biggest political party and the most powerful political family in vote-rich Cebu, according to well-placed party sources.
Villar met with congressmen and local officials belonging to One Cebu and the Garcia family behind closed doors at Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu City on Wednesday.
Although details of the meeting were not disclosed to local journalists, Alvin Garcia, who is seeking to regain the city’s mayoral post, announced an alliance between his party, Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Progress for Cebu) or Kusug, and the NP in a press conference at the same hotel.
His position was different from that taken by his cousin, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia, who founded One Cebu and has expressed support for Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro.
The governor sealed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s victory in the 2004 elections, giving her a one-million vote margin over the late opposition candidate, Fernando Poe Jr. Cebu has 2,416,289 registered voters, according to the Commission on Elections.
The administration coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD Wednesday night downplayed the report of One Cebu’s turnaround of support for Villar.
Gwendolyn’s call
“The political person in Cebu we’re working with is Gwen Garcia. She has more say on Cebu politics,” Francis Manglapus, the ruling party’s secretary, said by phone. “Our point person is Gwen Garcia. She’s 1,000 percent behind Gibo (Teodoro).”
In fact, Teodoro and the other candidates are flying to Cebu on Friday for the kickoff of the local campaign, on the governor’s invitation, Manglapus said.
Gwendolyn has already declared her support for Teodoro. And to prevent speculations even before the start of the local campaign, the governor had the former defense secretary’s picture with those of her and her running mate, Glenn Soco, on billboards.
“We’re giving Gwen a chance to think it through because we’re one party, One Cebu. We want her to have an honorable exit,” said the source, a One Cebu official. “She is still focused on Gibo.”
The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried but failed to reach Gwendolyn through her cell phone. It was learned later that the governor was expected to meet with mayors belonging to One Cebu in a southern town.
Nothing official
“Nothing yet official on a possible alliance with One Cebu,” Gilbert Remulla, NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate, said when reached by phone Wednesday night in Manila. He said he was not authorized to reveal ongoing talks on the party’s alliance with One Cebu.
But a stalwart of One Cebu, who asked not to be named because he was not yet authorized to divulge details of the meeting, said Villar had secured the support of Representatives Pablo “Pabling” Garcia (second district) and his son, Pablo John (third district), Benhur Salimbangon (fourth district), Eduardo Gullas (first district) and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (sixth district).
A sixth House member from Cebu, Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano IV (fifth district), is “still waiting in the wings,” the source said.
Durano, the source said, had yet to jump ship from the Bakud Party to the NP.
Villar country?
“Most, if not all, of the congressmen have already, as a matter of fact, expressed support for Villar. The entire Cebu is already a Villar country. It’s only a matter of time before this comes out in the open,” the One Cebu official said.
Outgoing Rep. Raul del Mar (north district) is backing Liberal Party presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, while outgoing Rep. Antonio Cuenco (south district) has yet to announce his presidential candidate.
During its convention held in November last year, One Cebu members, including the local officials, decided to endorse Teodoro. Except for Gullas, the other lawmakers, including Pablo and Pablo John Garcia, Salimbangon, Durano and Soon-Ruiz expressed support for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate.
Pablo Garcia’s presence
In a phone interview, Pablo Garcia confirmed that he, along with his sons Pablo John and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president Winston Garcia, Salimbangon, Soon-Ruiz and Gullas were present during the meeting.
Gullas’ Alayon Party is allied with One Cebu, but he had earlier declared his support for Villar. Soon-Ruiz, an outgoing lawmaker, is running for mayor in Mandaue City and endorsing to take her place, One Cebu’s Luis Luigi Quisumbing, who earlier declared he was for Teodoro.
In exchange for the crucial support of the Garcias, Villar has given his nod to Alvin as the official NP candidate in the city’s mayoral race, the One Cebu source said.
Money deal?
Alvin is running against incumbent Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who belongs to the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), a party founded by outgoing City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. The BOPK is backing the presidential bid of Aquino.
Earlier, Osmeña, who is running for congressman in the city’s south district after serving his third and final term as mayor, claimed that Alvin’s group would be supporting Villar after receiving P65 million from the senator.
Villar, however, maintained on Wednesday that there was no financial arrangement when he and Alvin forged the alliance. The senator denied that he was buying support amid the increasing number of politicians backing him.
He said the allegations were just a political strategy of his rivals.
“They pictured me as somebody who could only get supporters if I use money. In fact, they tried to prove that I’m buying everybody, including senators. Ang totoo, mahirap gamitin ang pera (The truth is, it’s hard to use money),” Villar said.
In explaining his alliance with Villar, Alvin said he could not speak for Gwendolyn and that the situation in the city was different from the province.
Mum on meeting
Villar spent only a brief time at the Marco Polo press conference, which was attended by Kusug candidates running for different positions in the city. He reportedly went back to the meeting with the One Cebu congressmen held at another function room of the hotel.
Alvin and Villar refused to confirm the meeting with other One Cebu lawmakers. In an interview with reporters, Villar only admitted that he was meeting some Cebu representatives who were his friends.
“Mga kaibigan naman natin iyan (They are my friends) as a former speaker and a former colleague, but I will not comment on alliances other than Kusug. I have to limit my comment to the Kusug alliance. I’m very glad today that they signed an alliance and we are looking for alliances all over the country including Cebu,” he said.
Pablo Garcia concurred. When repeatedly asked if he would continue to support Teodoro, he reiterated that he and Pablo John would be behind whoever Gwendolyn would be supporting.
He said he could not speak for the other One Cebu congressmen.
Alvin’s son Ramon earlier told reporters that Villar also attended a GSIS event in the city.

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