After three months of absence, Provincial Board (PB) member Thadeo “Teddy” Ouano showed up for the regular session yesterday and admitted that he has prostate cancer.
Ouano told reporters after the board’s regular session yesterday that he was recovering, but refused to elaborate.
Clad in a brown suit, Ouano attended the board’s first regular session this year yesterday.
The representative of Cebu’s 6th district and former Mandaue City mayor sported a shorter haircut, the strands all white and his scalp almost visible.
Ouano visibly lost weight and turned heads inside the session hall as he arrived five minutes late.
He will be seeking reelection in this year’s polls, but will be running under the banner of the Garcia-led One Cebu instead of the Liberal Party.
His son, Jonkie, filed his certificate of candidacy in October because he was suffering from “severe diarrhea.”
There were rumors circulating that he was suffering from a “serious condition” but nothing was confirmed until yesterday.
The rumors even evolved into a hoax stating that he already passed away earlier this month.
In a text message to Cebu Daily News then, Ouano said he was “fine and recuperating.” But he did not say what his condition was.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said she and members of the board also heard rumors about Ouano’s condition.
“He wrote to me, asking for a 30-day sick leave. He told me he would tell us everything when he gets back and he kept his promise,” she said. Magpale said Ouano now looks “younger.”
The former Mandaue City mayor was among those investigated for the improper use of funds for the installation of decorative lampposts used during the Asean Summit in 2007.
Ouano was suspended from his post and replaced by his then-vice mayor, Amadeo Seno.
In 2008, the prosecution failed to take the case to trial due to lack of evidence.