Liberal partymen in Cebu unperturbed by defections
Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas poses with supporters from the local Alayon Party led by former first district Rep. and now Talisay City mayoral candidate Eddie Gullas (far right) during the LP rally at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex last Thursday. With them are Sibonga Mayor Lionel Bacaltos and City of Naga Mayor Val Chiong. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
While Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III expressed worry that some of his allies in the first district bolted from the Liberal Party (LP), others from the administration-backed group dismissed the exodus as inconsequential.
Provincial Board (PB) Member Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba said it won’t make a difference if his former party mates would defect to another party, referring to Talisay City Mayor Johnny de los Reyes and the City of Naga Councilor Venci del Mar.
“I don’t think where they are will really make a difference,” he told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.
De los Reyes expressed disappointment over being “snubbed” by LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas and President Benigno Aquino III during a rally in Mandaue City last Thursday.
He said that though he was present, Roxas and Aquino only acknowledged Eduardo Gullas, who is running against De los Reyes for the city’s mayoral seat, and the latter’s grandson, first district Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr.
On Friday, De los Reyes decided to drop Roxas and considered switching his support to other presidential candidates—particularly Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Alcoseba said De los Reyes had every right to feel bad because he was probably hurt after feeling left out during the event.
Del Mar, who defected to the Garcia-led One Cebu on Friday, might have also felt “cast out,” the board member added.
The councilor would have been LP’s mayoral bet in Naga City against the daughter of outgoing Mayor Valdemar Chiong, Christine.
Based on his “interpretation” of the way the top LP leadership acted, Alcoseba said they were willing to sacrifice LP bets in the first district because they recognized that the Gullases can deliver more votes for Roxas and Davide.
Both the district LP and the Gullas-led Alayon Party promised support for Roxas as well as the reelection bids of Governor Davide and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale.
In an effort to maximize votes for LP bets, Davide chose to enter into a compromise agreement with Alayon, wherein he was not allowed to campaign against them in towns where they have incumbent mayors.
After the filing of certificates of candidacy in October last year, De los Reyes was the only LP mayor left in the district.
San Fernando Mayor Antonio “Abe” Canoy left the LP when Davide did not grant him a certificate of nomination to run for the first district seat since Samsam Gullas, whose family’s friendship with Roxas goes back a long way, is seeking reelection.
Alcoseba is seeking the mayoral seat in the City of Carcar and will be challenging incumbent Mayor Nicepuro Apura of Alayon.
The board member said he did not believe in party politics and would rather focus on elections at the local scene.
“Even if things are complicated in my district, I am still for Roxas, (Leni) Robredo, Davide, Magpale. My congressman is Abe Canoy,” said Alcoseba.
Tuburan Mayor Democrito Diamante, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter, said he did think the defection of De los Reyes and Del Mar will have an effect on LP.
“So far, our party is still solid,” told CDN in a phone interview.
The mayor added that 33 municipal mayors are with the LP.
Diamante also said that even some non-LP mayors, whose identities he refused to reveal, committed to “vote” for Roxas in the coming polls.
The mayor is seeking reelection and will be up against Daphnie Lagon of One Cebu.
Dumanjug Vice Mayor Efren “Gungun” Gica, on the other hand, said he felt bad that their allies in the first district had to leave.
Gica is the president of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines in Cebu and is also running for town mayor this year, challenging Mayor Nelson Garcia of One Cebu.
He said that he still hopes they will return to the LP fold, considering they were among the original LP members.
“I hope they change their minds. As a party mate, they were one of the few who were with us since 2010,” said Gica, referring to Del Mar and his group.
Gica acknowledged the possibility that there might be others who might defect to other political parties, but hoped against it.
Asked whether he saw this as an advantage for One Cebu, he said he did not but refused to elaborate.
In an earlier interview, Davide, who sits as LP Cebu chairman, said he was considering “courting” De los Reyes again and talking to Del Mar.
Toledo City Mayor John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña, an independent, said the situation in the first district was bound to reap repercussions sooner or later.
“In the end, that thing will break up. Because number one, everybody will be wondering who is who and what is what,” he told CDN.
Osmeña said he still could not tell the impact of the movement of allies from one party to another in the coming election since it is still around two months away.
March 25 has been set as the start of the campaign period for local candidates.
However, Osmeña said that the political landscape in Cebu is “fluid” at the moment.
“It’s unpredictable. Nobody can tell what’s going to happen,” said Osmeña.
Following the defection of Del Mar to One Cebu, there is no certainty on others from the LP following suit.
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