Radazas field only daughter for House seat

CITING health reasons, Rep. Arturo Radaza of the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City yesterday announced he will not seek reelection.

His daughter, 28-year-old Aileen, will run for Congress in his place.

Meanwhile, the opposition said they have not only formed a complete and united slate, but are ready to correct their weaknesses in the previous campaign.

Businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr., who is vying for mayor, called the group LP-Sukol (Sugpoon Kurapsyon sa Lapu-Lapu) and they have six council candidates each from the Liberal Party and Sukol.

Aileen filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) yesterday afternoon, along with her mother, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, who is seeking reelection, and their party’s candidates for vice mayor and councilors.

Aileen, who is running under the Lakas-Kampi Party, will face Angel Rodriguez of the Liberal Party (LP) and independent candidate Remegio Oyao.

Rodriguez filed his COC shortly before noon yesterday along with businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr., who will run for mayor, and their entire LP slate.

Lorenzo Ygot Jr., an independent candidate, also filed his COC for mayor yesterday afternoon.

Last Thursday, Karina Cabahug, a 21-year-old student and businesswoman, filed her COC as an independent mayoral candidate.

In a press conference, Aileen said that if elected she will continue the projects her father started, such as the concreting of roads in Lapu-Lapu.

“I know the people of Lapu-Lapu will support me the same way they supported my parents,” she said.

Rep. Radaza said Aileen, being young, can offer fresh ideas. Aileen served as a councilor of Barangay Mactan from 2007 to 2010.

She is a business administration graduate of the University of San Carlos. She also studied project management at the Berkeley University in California, USA.

“Dugay na ni gisabutan sa pamilya (This was decided by the family a long time ago),” Rep. Radaza said.

The congressman, who walks with the help of crutches, said he decided not to run next year so he can focus on his therapy.

Aileen said that her father’s constant travel to Manila slowed down his progress.

Mayor Radaza said that even though Rep. Radaza will no longer hold a government position, he will continue to offer his service to the City.

“Aileen is just an addition so we can better serve the people,” she said.

Pelaez, for his part, is running with retired general Rey Berdin for vice mayor.
Rodriguez is their congressional candidate.

Their candidates for the council include Atty. Fred Bensi, Dr. Ted Tojong, Tony Dingcong, Engr. Allan Amodia, Thelma Jumao-as and Mimi Baguio-Magno. The other six, who are Sukol members, are Rufo Bering, Gerry Cosep, Janbi de la Serna, Tino Aying,
Titing Tumulak and Panfilo Balingit.

In the 2010 election, both LP and Sukol admitted yesterday that they not only competed against the Radaza camp, but against each other. That, Pelaez said, placed them at a disadvantage and confused the voters.

“We were everybody’s opponents; everyone was ganging up on us,” said Pelaez, referring to administration candidates and Sukol.

Despite those odds, Pelaez said, they were still able to deliver votes to help secure a victory in May 2010 for President Benigno Aquino III and, at least in their district, then-vice presidential candidate Mar Roxas.

Rodriguez said their group feels “safer” with a new president in Malacañang. “They (national leaders) are aware of the problem, of the record of the Radazas in Lapu-Lapu City, as they have been there for 12 years now,” he said.