PDP-Laban swears in 300 Cebu politicians

SHOW OF FORCE SANS MIKE: House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (5th from right), PDP-Laban secretary general, receives the manifesto of support from 65 out of 80 Cebu City barangay captains headed by Philip Zafra (6th from left) and Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, assisted by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, in an event prior to the oath taking of some 300 new members of the ruling party held at the Sacred Heart Center. Story on page 2. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Alvarez admits Mike was excluded due to drug issue

The requirements for new members of the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) are clear: “no drug lords, drug addicts and no involvement in corruption.”

This was emphasized last night by lawyer Noel Felongco, the party’s head in Central Visayas, as some 300 elected officials, including members of Team Rama led by Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, and private individuals took oath last night as new members of PDP-Laban before House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

While Felongco stressed he was not alluding to former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, Alvarez admitted that Rama was not considered for membership due to allegations that linked him to the illegal drug trade.

Alvarez said he saw nothing wrong with swearing into office several Team Rama councilors, stressing there should be no negative association between Team Rama councilors who took oath as new members of PDP-Laban and the former mayor, whose name was included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of alleged drug protectors.

“Let us remember that the crime of one is not the crime for all. Individual yan,” he said in an interview after the oath taking ceremony at the Sacred Heart Center in Cebu City.

Five Cebu City councilors took their oaths while 65 barangay captains were present during the ceremony.

However, the speaker emphasized that the party has been very careful in choosing whom they admit as members and that those on Duterte’s drug list will never be included.

Rama earlier said his own oath taking into PDP-Laban would depend on whether he could clear up his name.

Alvarez said he personally would like to welcome everyone to the party, but it would be detrimental to the President’s group if someone from his list of alleged drug protectors were to be admitted.

Should Rama be able to clear up his name and decide to reach out to the party, Alavarez said his admission would still be subject to the approval of its executive committee.

Alvarez said he has met Rama occasionally, but he doesn’t know him personally.

Asked if PDP-Laban would instead welcome Cebu City Tomas Osmeña to the party, Alvarez said it wasn’t for him to decide.

“It’s a collective decision. That is why we have an execom (executive committee),” said Alvarez.

Labella was joined by Councilors Jocelyn Pequera, James Anthony Cuenco, Jose Daluz III and Jerry Guardo. Councilors Raymond Garcia and Joel Garganera, also of Team Rama, were unable to make it due to personal matters but will be taking their oath as party members at a later time, Labella said.

About 65 barangay captains allied with Team Rama and led by Association of Barangay Council (ABC) President and Tisa Barangay Captain Phillip Zafra were present during the oath taking but did not join as new members to maintain the “apolitical” nature of ABC, said Zafra.

“We are not after quantity but quality,” Felongco told reporters in an interview prior to the start of PDP-Laban’s “basic orientation seminar” for new members at the Convention Hall of the Sacred Heart Center located along D. Jakosalem Street in Cebu City.

Thus, he said, those who took their oath last night are still probationary members until such time that they have also undergone their “basic membership seminar” (BMS) set anytime next month.

OATH TAKING. New PDP-Laban members led by outgoing Cordova Vice Mayor Adelino Sitoy, Mandaue City Mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia take their oath before House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez, PDP-Laban secretary general, in a ceremony held at the Sacred Heart Center on Aug. 27, 2016. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

At least 21 local government units were represented during last night’s activity, including the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Toledo, Cebu and the towns of Borbon, Balamban, Barili, Aloguinsan, Liloan, Asturias, Pinamungajan, Tabogon, Bantayan, Tabuelan, San Remigio, Sta. Fe, Pilar, Medellin, Cordova, Consolacion and Tuburan.

Incumbent Cebu officials present were Provincial Board Members Alex Binghay of the third district and Jonkie Ouano of the sixth district.

Among the mayors who joined as new members were Luigi Quisumbing of Mandaue City, Christina Garcia Frasco of Liloan, Alan Adlawan of Asturias, Zigfred Duterte of Tabogon, Marlon Garcia of Barili and Glen Baricuatro of Pinamungajan. Also a new member is Liloan Vice Mayor Duke Frasco, the mayor’s husband.

Cebu third district Rep. Gwen Garcia, Christina’s mother, joined PDP-Laban last month and was seen on the same table with Alvarez, along with Labella. Also with them was outgoing Cordova Vice Mayor Adelino Sitoy, who was recently appointed as Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs and at the same time as head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO). Sitoy likewise took his oath as new member.

Sitoy was a member of erstwhile ruling Liberal Party, from which he took a leave when he campaigned for Duterte in the last elections.

Cebu fourth district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon was present but said there was no need for him to join PDP-Laban since his party, the National Unity Party (NUP), is in coalition with the ruling party.

Quisumbing joined the party along with Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna and the city’s 10 councilors, seven of whom used to be with LP while three were formerly with One Cebu.

Quisumbing, who ran and won under LP, said that with this new alliance, he was confident that Mandaue City will be able to show 100 percent support to the Duterte administration.

“For us, it is important not only to say we are supportive (to the programs of President Duterte) but to show our support pinaagi sa pag-apil sa (in joining the) PDP-Laban to be able to make sure we can fully support the president,” Quisumbing said.