LP is strong in the 7th district — PB Calderon
THE new seventh district in Cebu is dominated by Liberal Party (LP) allies, contrary to claims from the opposition that the district will not bring in votes for the party’s standard-bearer.
Provincial Board (PB) Member Peter John Calderon said that mayors of six out of eight towns in the district are allied with the administration-backed LP.
Towns in the district whose mayors are with the LP include Alcantara, Alegria, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Moalboal, and Ronda, he said.
He said only Badian and Dumanjug are allied with the Garcia-led One Cebu, which recently expressed support for United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer, Vice President Jejomar Binay.
The two towns are considered the most vote-rich in the district with a total voting population of more than 55,000 in the 2013 polls.
“I am not threatened because the LP has strong candidates there,” he told Cebu Daily News.
Dumanjug Vice Mayor Efren Gica is challenging Mayor Nelson Garcia, who was suspended for six months by the PB last year over a grave abuse of authority complaint filed by the former against him.
In Badian, former three-term mayor Carmen Librando is challenging her nephew, Mayor Robburt Librando.
With One Cebu supporting Binay, Toledo City Mayor John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña said the Vice President was assured of votes from the second and third districts of Cebu, considered bailiwicks of the Garcias, and the fourth district, controlled by Rep. Benhur Salimbangon, a Garcia ally.
The seventh district, on the other hand, was formed from the second district.
PB Member Calderon is running against former congressman Pablo John Garcia, who ran for governor in 2013 but lost to Gov. Hilario Davide III.
“We are trying to make ourselves visible in all barangays in preparation for the start of the campaign (on March 25),” said Calderon.
At the same time, they are also campaigning for LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas and his running mate, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Leni Robredo.
Rep. Wilfredo Caminero, on the other hand, said opposition also could not say that the second district was “theirs.”
The mayors of Alcoy, Argao, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Samboan, and Santander are allied with the LP while only Oslob is allied with One Cebu.
Caminero said he was confident the second district would haul in votes for Roxas and Robredo.
“The mayors know because all of the towns have benefited from the Bottom-Up Budgeting program, a brainchild of Mar’s,” he told CDN over the phone.
Under the BUB program, local communities are given P15 million annually to be used on projects they determined for the national government to implement in their areas.
Caminero, who is seeking a second term in Congress, said the LP is “strong” in his district and refused to believe claims made by opposition.
“We’ll wait and see after the election,” he added.
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