Calingin, Acenas not under LP, says Moreno

MISAMIS Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno clarified that Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Alvin Calingin and Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas could not be candidates under the Liberal Party (LP).

“I am the chair of LP in Cagayan de Oro and I was designated to sign the certificate of nomination of candidates except only in the case of the city mayor and congressman of both districts,” Moreno said on his radio program.

Moreno’s statement came in clarification to some reports that both Calingin and Acenas are now members of LP-PaDayon Pilipino.

Calingin will reportedly run for the city’s congressional seat in the first district against incumbent Rep. Jose Benjamin Benaldo and former Mayor Constantino Jaraula, who are both allies of Mayor Vicente Emano.

The three allies of Emano will also pit against LP’s official candidate for congressman in the 1st District, Carmen village chief Rolando Uy.

Earlier, Emano claimed his candidates are “mixed” after his PaDayon Pilipino party was denied accreditation by the Commission on Elections.

Because of this, Emano’s party has allegedly coalesced with different parties like Lakas, Nacionalista Party (NP) and LP.

There were also reports that Emano allegedly coalesced with NP led by Senator Manuel Villar Jr., the fierce rival of President Benigno Aquino in the 2010 presidential elections.

“NP and Liberal Party have coalesced so if it is true that Dongkoy (Emano) had joined NP, does this mean that they would also support Senator Koko Pimentel? Does this also mean that Dongkoy will support the candidates of NP-LP coalition?” Moreno said.

He reminded Emano of his commitment to Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“Asa naman karon ang iyang suporta kang Binay? Ug asa naman karon sa picture ang UNA? The politics of Dongkoy is a politics of betrayal and deception,” Moreno said.

NP and LP coalesced to field senatorial candidates in next year’s polls.

Meanwhile, in his weekly radio program on Sunday, Emano said he will endorse and carry Benaldo as PaDayon Pilipino’s official candidate in the congressional seat.

“Lisod gyud labina nga pulos ko kauban si Calingin ug Jaraula ug nasayod sila nga dili gayud ako mobiya og kauban pero ila man gyud nga desisyon ug katungod usab nga magpapili so dili ko mahimong pugngan,” he said.