Former Cebu governor Emilio “Lito” Osmena yesterday confirmed reports that he will not pursue his bid for governor.
Instead, he will vote for One Cebu standard-bearer Winston Garcia and his running mate, Nerissa Soon-Ruiz.
“Mo-prangka gyod ko nga ang akong mata, tiguwang na gyod. Duna koy problema sa akong mata, so the answer is no, dili ko modagan for any office,” Osmeña said in an interview on Wednesday.
(I will be frank. I have a problem with my eyes so the answer is no, I will not run for any office.)
Osmeña, who was Cebu governor from 1988 to 1992, said he knows Garcia and Soon-Ruiz very well. Both were members of the Provincial Board (PB) under his administration.
“Kay si Winston nakasabot sa programa sa Promdi. Si Davide buotan, pero way kalibutan. Kon si Winston maoy gobernador, daghan mahitabo. Kon si Davide, ang nahitabo three years ago mao ra gihapon ang mahitabo,” he said.
(Because Winston understands the program of Promdi. (Governor Hilario) Davide is kind, but doesn’t know. If Winston is elected governor, a lot will happen. If Davide wins, we can expect the same developments from three years ago.)
PROMDI
Promdi, or the Progressive Movement for the Devolution of Initiatives, was the political party that Osmeña founded when he ran for President in the 1998 elections. He lost to former president Joseph Estrada.
Garcia, a lawyer, was one of Osmeña’s trusted lieutenants during the “Ceboom” years, a term that Osmeña coined to refer to Cebu and its economic boom during his administration.
After his stint in the PB, Garcia went on to serve as general manager and president of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) under the Arroyo administration from 2001 to 2010. He presently sits as independent director of San Miguel Corp.
He is scheduled to file this morning his certificate of candidacy for governor under One Cebu. He could not be reached for comment last night.
Garcia earlier told Cebu Daily News staff that he was running for governor because Cebu needs an assertive leader with a clear infrastructure and growth agenda.
PROJECTS
Among the projects that he vowed he will push are the construction of a second runway at the Mactan Cebu International Airport, a new international container port in Consolacion, a reclamation project in Cordova for tourism, and a new economic hub on reclaimed land in Talisay-Naga.
He also vowed to revive a proposal to establish a Light Rail Transit from Danao City in the north to Carcar City in the south.
There were previous reports that Osmeña just wanted to give way for Garcia’s candidacy.
Osmeña said this was not entirely correct.
“Ang tinuod mihangyo siya nga i-bise si Mimo kay modagan siyag gobernador (The truth is he asked if Mimo could be his running mate),” the former governor said.
“Ako siyang giingnan, di na ko kadagan og gobernador ug di nako buhian si Mimo kay duna mi dagko nga importante nga projects (I told him that I could no longer run for governor and I would not let go of Mimo because we have big projects) and I need his eyes and ears,” Osmena said.
The former governor also said he will likely support the possible presidential bid of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, depending on the outcome of his negotiations with the senator’s camp and the senator’s platform of government.
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