GARCIA AND DAVIDE FILE COC FOR GOVERNATORIAL/OCT.15,2015:Governatorial Candidate under 1 CEBU Winston Garcia approach incomvent Governor Hilario Davide Jr and Vice-Gov. Agnes Magpale outside the Provincial COMELEC office during the filling of Certificate of Candidacy in Provincial COMELEC office Capitol Compound.(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Garcia: I’m the underdog; Davide: It’s an even playing field
Rivals on their best behavior – a good sign.
The Cebu gubernatorial race, expected to be a heated one, saw the two main contenders in a friendly encounter yesterday at the Capitol compound where they both showed up to file their certificates of candidacy.
One Cebu standard-bearer Winston Garcia and reelectionist Gov. Hilario Davide III shook hands, smiled and engaged in light talk outside the office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as news photographers and reporters scrambled for a closer look.
Davide asked about the letters “WFG” inscribed on the back of Garcia’s blue polo shirt.
“That’s ‘Winston for Governor’,” said the challenger.
UNDERDOG?
In an interview, later, Garcia said he was “definitely” the underdog in the election.
“He (Davide) is the incumbent. I consider my candidacy an uphill battle . That’s why I’m doubling my efforts to organize. I’m just happy that our organization in the province is shaping up,” said the former GSIS president.
Governor Davide, seeking a second term under the Liberal Party, said the 2016 contest was on a level playing field.
“Nobody is an underdog here”, he said.
Davide minimized the recent declaration of support of former Cebu governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña for his rival, saying it was natural for Osmeña to do so since Winston was part of his administration as legal adviser and Provincial Board member from 1988 to 1992.
In the end, “It’s the people eventually will decide.”
To secure reelection, Davide said he would simply tell people his accomplishments and that he needs another term to finish all his projects, including the upgrading of provincial hospitals.
“We will tell the people what we’ve done so far in our first three years, then ask for another term because more work needs to be done, there’s much to be finished,” Davide said.
Garcia’s One Cebu party arrived first at 9:30 a.m. With a few supporters in blue shirts. When he learned that administration candidates were waiting outside, he walked to their group, shook hands and put his hand on the governor’s shoulder.
They exchanged smiles and small talk.
Winston also gave Vice Gov. Agnes Magaple a social kiss “beso beso”.
In an interview later, Davide made light of the greeting.
He said they knew each other during the Chiong criminal case trial in 1997 when both of them were lawyers in the panel of private prosecutors looking into the role of eight men accused of kidnapping and raping two sisters, Marijoy and Jacqueline Chong.
Winston was accompanied to the Comelec yesterday by his running mate Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, who filed her COC as vice governor, and father, Pablo. He was later joined by siblings Gwen and Pablo John, who filed their COC for congressional seats in the 3rd and 7th districts, respectively. Other candidates for provincial board joined them later.
Before the Garcia camp could finish filing, the LP candidates led by Davide arrived past 10 a.m.after celebrating Mass in the nearby Capitol parish church.
Davide and Vice Governor Magpale , came with LP candidates for congress and the provincial board with more than 100 supporters in yellow shirts.
They waited outside the Comelec office until Garcia’s group stepped outside.
MORALE BOOSTER
Winston said it was a “big morale booster” for his supporters that former governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña, announced his support for Garcia.
“Dako kaayo nang moral booster sa among mga supporters that no less than Lito Osmeñ supports us,” he said.
The One Cebu party has a complete set of candidates in each district, town and component city to match the administration’s lineup.
Osmeña, 77, told Cebu Daily News a day earlier that he would no longer run for governor due to health issues, particularly his weak eyesight.
The former governor, credited for the “Ceboom” growth spurt in the 1990s, advocated ambitious plans to transform Cebu into a progressive economy like Hong Kong or Singapore with a focus on aggressive infrastructure — a similar game plan is being pushed by Winston in his platform for the 2016 election.
“Si Winston nakasabot sa programa sa Promdi. Si Davide buotan, pero way kalibutan. Kon si Winston maoy governador, daghan mahitabo. Kon si Davide, ang nahitabo three years ago, mao ra gihapon ang mahitabo,” said Osmeña.
(Winston understands the program of Promdi. Davide is a good man but doesn’t know how to do it. If Winston is governor, many things will happen. If it’s Davide, we can expect the same developments as the past three years.)
Winston said his advantage is his platform of government which includes ambitious plans to develop Cebu as a global center of tourism by creating a 500-hectare reclamation project in Cordova, reclaiming other areas from Talisay City to Carcar City and an international container port in Consolacion town, and building a second runway in Mactan, among others.
“Our aim is to make Cebu number one again,” he said.