GARCIA FOR GOV?

Gwen’s brother Winston shows interest to run; One Cebu to field ‘full slate’   

Rep. Gwen Garcia and former GSIS president Winston Garcia at a private lunch with family members, One Cebu mayors and allies. Discussions have begun on who to field in the 2016 gubernatorial race. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Her younger  brother, not Rep. Gwen Garcia, was introduced yesterday to some mayors and allies of the One Cebu party as a possible bet  for Cebu governor in next year’s election.

In a private lunch, Winston Garcia, 56, expressed his “interest” to run for governor in 2016 “to make Cebu number one again.”

The closed-door gathering was held at a function room of the Grand Convention Center. The patriarch, former Rep. Pablo Garcia, said One Cebu would field  a “full provincial slate” in the election.

Gwen sat beside her 89-year-old father and Winston in a get-together later described in  a party statement as a “reconsolidating” of forces.

Gwen had personally phoned the mayors to invite them.

With the October deadline for the filing of candidacies approaching, the Garcia camp has yet to finalize a decision on who to field against reelectionist Gov. Hilario Davide III of the Liberal Party.

Earlier speculation focused on Gwen, who finished three terms or nine years as Cebu’s first woman governor in 2013. She could just as easily run for reelection in the 3rd congressional district.

A third contender, former governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña, already announced that he was running for the office he once held from 1988 to 1992 during the “Ceboom” years.

READ: WHY LITO WILL RUN

Winston, a lawyer, started his political career as a member of the Provincial Board under Osmeña and was one of his trusted lieutenants.

Winston later went on to become general manager and president of the Government  Service Insurance System (GSIS) under the Arroyo administration in 2001 to 2010.

At present Winston serves as an independent director on the board of San Miguel Corp. whose chairman is Eduardo “Danding” Cojuanco.

UNITED NOW

During conversations over lunch, Winston had to introduce himself to the mayors who didn’t see much of him in Cebu during Gwen’s stint  as governor due to his government duties in Manila.

According to a source in the gathering, Winston recalled how family members supported different presidential candidates in the 2010 election.

“Now we are trying to be united,” he was quoted as saying.

In 2010, Winston and brother Byron supported Manuel Villar for president, while Gwen, who was governor, campaigned for Gilbert Teodoro. Both candidates lost to Benigno Aquino III.

At present, Gwen is a stalwart of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which is backing Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Yesterday’s lunch was the first time the Garcias invited allies and former allies since the 2014 election.

At least 10 mayors, two vice mayors, two legislators, three board members and a retired police official were seen there.

No press conference followed.  Instead, One Cebu sent a statement by e-mail.

Pabling, the clan’s patriarch, talked about Cebu province’s displacement from its former status as the “no. 1” province.

“Subo palandungon nga in the recent survey on competitiveness, number three nalang ta, when we have been consistently been in the number-one spot since the time of [former Governor] Lito [Osmeña] (It’s sad to reflect how, in a recent survey of competitiveness, Cebu has dropped to third when the province consistently made it to the top since the time of former Governor Osmeña),” Pabling said.

He was referring to the 2014 “competitive ranking” conducted by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) where Cebu province placed 3rd after Davao del Sur and Misamis Oriental. (The competitiveness survey added provinces as a new category in 2013.)

READ: Cebu City, Province named 3rd most competitive LGUs

Other Garcia family members present at the lunch: Pablo John,  the former 3rd district congressman; Nelson, the  suspended Dumanjug Mayor; Marlon, former Barili vice mayor; Byron, former Capitol consultant on security; Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco and his wife, Gwen’s daughter Christina.

Rep. Gwen described yesterday’s meeting as a sign that One Cebu is “alive and well, and is aware of what needs to be done.”

“Where is Cebu now? Kung unsa ang napondar, kung unsa ang gilig-on ug mapasigarbohon nga gisangyaw nato sa kalibutan nga Cebu is number one, where is it now? (Where are the things we had built over the years, fortified and proudly proclaimed throughout the world that Cebu is number one? Where is it now?),” she said.

She said One Cebu should “bring back the glory” of Cebu as a strong province.

She said colleagues in the House of Representatives  asked her if Cebu’s governor was really an ally of President Aquino because Cebu was “overtaken” by Iloilo, Bohol and Negros in terms of progress.

“What was once a collective pride for Cebuanos has seemed to have been transformed into a collective embarrassment,” she said.

Pablo John, secretary general of One Cebu, said that “new leadership” in the party would bring everyone to greater heights.

Among those present at the lunch were Rep. Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu’s 4th district, Cebu Provincial Board Members Julian Daan, Alex Binghay and Sun Shimura.

Among the mayors were  Val Chiong of the City of Naga, Nicepuro Apura of Carcar City, Lionel Bacaltos of Sibonga, Ronald Guarin of Oslob, Glen Baricuatro of Pinamungajan, Allan Adlawan of

Asturias, Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco of Liloan, Sigfred Duterte of Tabogon and Ricky Ramirez of Medellin.

Also present were  Vice Mayors Alfredo Awe of Boljoon, and Augustus Caesar  Moreno of Aloguinsan; former mayors Ritchie Wagas of Compostela, Teresita Celis of Boljoon, Emelita Guisadio of Alegria, and Arlene Zambo of Toledo City; former Consolacion Councilor Alfie Ouano, Toledo City Councilor Ricardo Pepito, and Retired Police Chief Supt. Vicente Loot.

In a statement, former Mayor Ritchie Wagas said the meeting was proof that “One Cebu is not an on-and-off party. We may be the minority now, but our spirit is solid and intact and burning more brightly than ever to make Cebu great again,” he said.

Congressman Salimbangon said that if the province has fallen behind “Dili ni nato dapat pasagdahan (Let us not  neglect it).