LAHUG Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos yesterday confirmed meeting with presidential aspirant Manny Villar, but said she’d rather keep Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña guessing what the discussion was about.

She asked if the mayor has resorted to spying on the opposition, after learning that it was Osmeña who informed reporters of the alleged meeting.

“Has he been spying on his enemies? That’s funny. He’s funny. It’s good that he knew about the meeting. But I will keep him guessing,” she said in a telephone interview.

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De los Santos, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu Province, 3rd district), and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia reportedly met with Villar, who visited Cebu this week.

What the governor’s camp would only confirm, however, was that there was an invitation from Villar’s camp for a meeting. But so what, asked Capitol consultant on information and revenue generation Rory Jon Sepulveda.

“Is he envious that he was not invited? It’s a pity,” Sepulveda said of Osmeña’s leaking of the supposed meeting.

Congressman Garcia said no such meeting took place.

“No, that’s not true. I was in Toledo City the entire morning and then in Pinamungajan until midnight,” Pablo John told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.

Not Afghanistan

Like Sepulveda, Pablo John confirmed that Villar has been inviting his older sister for a meeting. But Osmeña, he added, is trying to sow intrigues by saying that he and his sister met with Villar.

Pablo John added that he would only meet with Villar if he knows what its purpose would be.

Sepulveda, however, said the agenda for Villar’s invitation was politics.

“They would most definitely not talk about Afghanistan. It’s a political season and it’s no secret that so many politicians want to talk to the governor,” said Sepulveda.

One Cebu, which Governor Garcia leads, has yet to endorse a presidential aspirant.

Sepulveda also said there is nothing wrong with a meeting among Gwendolyn, a governor running for reelection; her brother Pablo John, a congressman also running for reelection; and Villar, a senator who has hopes of being the next president.

Also yesterday, Villar hosted a get-together lunch with the Cebu media and revealed that the Nacionalista Party has named him its standard-bearer for the May 10, 2010 elections.

Though Joseph Estrada has raised the hands of de los Santos and Jonathan Guardo during a previous visit, the two opposition figures have not formally declared an alliance with the former president. Estrada plans to run as standard-bearer of the United Opposition.

Yesterday, de los Santos continued visiting barangays with Guardo in their advocacy for “new politics” with their “Our Cebu City” campaign.

The word “Our” stands for Opportunity, Unity, Reform.

Tandem

In particular, she said they will keep away from traditional politics, opting to engage “in the politics of growth and development.”

“The advocacy we are launching hopes to provide the environment where unity can thrive so that greater opportunities can trickle down to every Cebuano and that good governance with a heart will prevail,” she said during the Our Cebu City launching last Tuesday.

Guardo has promised that his programs in the south district, particularly the medical and burial assistance, would also be implemented in the north district, in partnership with de los Santos.

Guardo is eyeing the south district congressional seat, while de los Santos has set her sights on the north district seat.

The launching of their advocacy, however, has also spawned talks that both will instead run for mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

This prompted Association of Barangay Councils president Eugenio Faelnar to comment that they were just after the funding that would be given by whoever it is they will carry as their candidate for president to recoup financial losses.

In an interview, de los Santos said money is never an issue in their campaign, because from her end, she has spent personal funds since losing to Osmeña in the 2007 elections just to sustain her programs.

“Sila siguro (Maybe they’re the ones who are after the money,)” she said. (RHM/JGA)