DIVIDED

STICKING IT OUT. Though she didn’t attend the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) rally at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City, Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district (seen here greeting her younger brother and One Cebu gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia after a press conference) says she remains committed to Binay and his slate. The Garcias, with their patriarch former Deputy House speaker Pablo Garcia, confirmed their split with UNA one month after aligning with them. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

Cebu Rep. (3rd district) Gwendolyn Garcia, founder of One Cebu Party, kissed younger brother Winston’s cheek shortly after they confirmed that the party, in a “unanimous” decision, has cut its ties with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

But the congresswoman, who is among the founding members of UNA, clarified that while she fully supported One Cebu’s decision, she was not leaving UNA.

“I am not bolting the party (UNA) unless the party will be disloyal to me,” she said during the  press conference that One Cebu called yesterday morning to announce the break-up.

She declined to comment on the possibility that One Cebu will support another candidate.

“That remains to be a what if. We’ll cross the bridge when we get there, if we ever get there,” she told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview last night.

Her position is consistent with Winston’s statement that Gwen’s commitment to UNA “will not bind” One Cebu. Winston made the statement to CDN in September last year, shortly before Gwen stepped aside for Winston to assume the leadership of One Cebu.

In 2010, Gwen and Winston also supported different candidates. Gwen campaigned for Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro while Winston supported Manuel Villar.

A few hours after the press conference, the congresswoman was spotted in Balamban town in western Cebu, where UNA was holding a caravan.

She was not, however, at the Plaza Independencia as of 8 p.m. yesterday, where UNA and the Team Rama slate held a rally. (See separate story on Page 2)

Provincial Board (PB) Member Sun Shimura, a member of the National Unity Party (NUP) and an ally of One Cebu, also continues to support Binay.

“But like a good soldier, I will just abide by the decision of One Cebu, whatever it is that will be reached,” he said.

CHOICES

A source from One Cebu said some party members favor Sen. Grace Poe while others are for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (PDP Laban).

Winston, however, said yesterday that One Cebu might choose to support another presidential candidate or go for a free zone.

He said they still have to consult their leaders.

In the statement on One Cebu’s withdrawal of support for Binay ( One Cebu statement ) , Winston said they will “work instead with those who are willing to share our core principles and philosophy to ensure victory for the Cebuanos.”

He dismissed reports of talks with Team Galing at Puso through 5th District Rep. Ace Durano, Poe’s campaign manager.

Duterte, in a press conference at the Talisay City Hall yesterday afternoon, said he was open to discussions with One Cebu. But as of 4 p.m. yesterday, he said there were no talks between them yet.

He said it would be presumptuous of him to conclude that One Cebu will endorse him.

At least five incumbent mayors and a PB member allied with One Cebu want to support Duterte. Seven other One Cebu mayors could not be reached for comment.

Asturias Mayor Allan Adlawan, in a phone interview, said he had told Winston about his choice.

“He (Winston) asked us (in Asturias) and I said it straight to him. We would rather have Duterte,” Adlawan said, noting that the Davao mayor has extensive experience in resolving the problem of illegal drugs and corruption.

WHY THEY LIKE DUTERTE

Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez, for his part, said he personally favors Duterte.

“It’s my personal opinion. But I will leave it all to One Cebu on who we’re going to endorse as presidential candidate,” Ramirez told CDN in a phone interview. He was in his home in Medellin, northern Cebu while UNA held a rally in Cebu City last night.

Ramirez said he and other One Cebu members in the 4th District learned on Saturday night about One Cebu’s decision to cut ties with UNA.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia, brother of Gwendolyn and Winston, said One Cebu has yet to consult its members, but he said their presidential candidate would have to come from the Visayas. He declined to elaborate.

“In the first place, I am not in the position (to say anything) because I am not the chairman (of One Cebu),” he said in a separate interview.

Two other mayors, who declined to be named, said they were leaning toward Duterte.

One said Duterte was his “first love” and the Davao mayor had done an excellent job managing his city.

The second mayor said he favors Duterte because he espouses federalism. He said the country needs a leader who can improve the lives of those in the Visayas and Mindanao. But he said he would abide by One Cebu’s decision if the party decides not to endorse Duterte.

PB Member Arleigh Sitoy, formerly of the Liberal Party (LP) but now running under PDP-Laban as Cordova town mayor, also supports Duterte. The rest of the PB members are either part or allied with the LP.

BREAK-UP

Gwen, Winston and other members of the Garcia family, led by patriarch former congressman Pablo Garcia, confirmed in a press conference yesterday the CDN report that One Cebu has broken its month-old alliance with UNA and Binay.

In their statement, Winston criticized UNA for its lack of appreciation and failure to reciprocate One Cebu’s loyalty. He noted that UNA “regarded the alliance as nothing more than a marriage of convenience.”

“UNA treated One Cebu like imperial Manila treats the rest of the Philippines-for all intents and purposes, with absolute contempt and disrespect. This is a situation that Cebu and other parts of the country had long wanted to change, but UNA did not give any indication that it is different from other parties and entities in imperial Manila,” the statement read.

Winston said UNA did not invite One Cebu to the rally in Lapu-Lapu City last night. Neither did UNA inform or coordinate with them on Binay’s sortie in Cebu last Thursday in Carcar City, Dalaguete, Argao and Talisay City.

He emphasized, however, that One Cebu still maintains a good relationship with Binay. However, they can no longer work with a party with different priorities.

“It’s just that I do not think One Cebu-UNA as a party can work hand in hand here in Cebu. They have other things, other priorities that might clash (with) One Cebu. That’s why we decided to break off this alliance,” he said.

He said One Cebu does not agree with how Binay is working with their opponents.  “We cannot agree with their strategy just to make Binay win,” he said, without giving names. “They can now do whatever they want in Cebu without the constraint of coordinating with One Cebu,” he added.