Alayon supports Magpale: Eddiegul

ALAYON, a party led by Rep. Eduardo Gullas, will support Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale in next year’s elections, but still has to decide who among the gubernatorial candidates to campaign for.

In a press conference yesterday, Gullas also revealed that Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez was included in the shortlist to run with Rep. Pablo John Garcia, One Cebu’s candidate for governor.

But Fernandez denied the report and said he has chosen to run for Talisay City councilor in next year’s elections.

Interviewed separately, Garcia said there are already four persons on the party’s list of possible candidates for vice governor, but that his sister, incumbent Gov. Gwen Garcia, is not one of them.

“You can scratch her name off the list,” said Congressman Garcia, the party’s secretary-general.

Gullas, for his part, said his commitment to Magpale’s candidacy stems from the long friendship between their families.

Fernandez said he has received no invitation so far from One Cebu and added that he was not interested to run for vice governor. He would rather run for the Talisay City Council instead.

Gullas said he supports Fernandez, whatever position he aims for, and that he respects the mayor for his humility, as shown in his willingness to slide to a lower political post.

Gullas said he has yet to choose who among the prospective candidates for governor he would support.

He and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will meet to discuss Alayon’s possible endorsement of her brother, Congressman Garcia.

Gullas added that he has yet to hear any proposal from the local Liberal Party, particularly their gubernatorial candidate, Hilario “Junjun” Davide III.

Back in 2010, Gullas and Alayon coalesced with One Cebu. Still, Garcia and her running mate, Glenn Soco, lost in most of the first district, as well as the sixth.

When asked if a person from the business sector is included in their short list for vice governor, Congressman Garcia said that a businessman is, indeed, one of those listed.

“I think I know who you mean. Without mentioning the name, yes, the person is among those we are considering for vice governor,” he said.

Meanwhile, businessman Glenn Soco, who has expressed an interest in running for office again, said he does not want to assume that his name is on One Cebu’s list.

“I’ve already said my piece. I don’t want to comment further. Let us leave that to them,” Soco said.

Congressman Garcia, for his part, said that because his sister is close to many mayors of the fifth district, they might cross party lines to support him even if they support Magpale for vice governor.

He said the deep relationship between the governor and mayors of the district, mostly Bakud members, is making it hard for One Cebu to part ways with these mayors.

These are the mayors of the towns of Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Carmen, Compostela, Liloan and the four Camotes island towns of San Francisco, Tudela, Poro and Pilar.

Camotes became a popular tourist destination when it was repeatedly promoted through the Suroy-Suroy Sugbu program.

“These mayors might go for a mixed ticket because of their closeness with the governor,” said Pablo John.

Now that Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano, as head of Bakud, is poised to ally with the Liberal Party (LP), the LP’s other allies in the district, like Mayor Boy Durano and his brother Jesus “Don” Durano, have also expressed willingness to support One Cebu.

Congressman Garcia said that would be a tremendous boost to One Cebu, but that no formal talks have been made so far. (FMG)