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Monday, March 29, 2004
Mongaya: GMA and FPJ
By Anol Mongaya
THOUGH opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. was billeted at the Marriott Hotel for his most recent Cebu sortie, he went to another hotel Friday night to quietly avoid President Arroyo who was the special guest of an assembly of Cebu businessmen. An ardent supporter said this demonstrated FPJ’s gallantry since his supporters would have besieged the Marriott – a scene that would be embarrassing to GMA.
Many in his campaign staff did not even know what hotel he went to. Most likely though he was either at the Waterfront Hotel in Mactan or at the Shangri-la because he fetched Susan Roces at 9 a.m. at the airport the next day.
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The star-studded proclamation rally of the opposition drew a crowd that filled the Cebu City Sports Complex Saturday night. But they were not there just because of the artistas. People attracted by the actors and actresses would just have been lifeless when the politicos came forward with speeches.
Astute observers I met yesterday said the crowd cheered fervently when local politicians especially former mayor Alvin Garcia spoke.
The camp of President Arroyo, on the other hand, focused on inaugurating projects like the South Reclamation Project instead of rallies. Her daughter Luli held a series of medical clinics in various areas in Cebu City and province last Saturday and Sunday. I think the quiet, no fanfare approach made a connection with the direct beneficiaries.
I think that with this tack GMA tried to conveniently avoid the crossfire in the increasingly bitter three-sided war in the province among former Capitol consultant Gwen Garcia, Vice Gov. John-John Osmeña and former congressman Junie Martinez.
In the city, coffee shop kibitzers said the BO-PK wants to sidestep competing with Kusug to avoid comparisons like what happened in 2001. Nevertheless, the opposition rally shows Cebu as not an entirely GMA country as widely perceived. Alvin Garcia’s Kusug was able to mobilize an army of supporters similar to what it had in 2001. The challenge is how to use this political asset to thwart the expected last minute BO-PK special operations.
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Still, the opposition faces an uphill job of translating FPJ’s popularity into votes because its campaign machinery in the province is wanting.
Nevertheless, the three-way fight within the administration part has already led to fallouts for the FPJ camp. According to sources, Martinez leaders in the second district already defected to the opposition.
In the opposition rally in Talisay City last Friday, Sen. Serge Osmeña campaigned for FPJ while Rep. Eddie Gullas allowed the opposition to pay him a courtesy call. Earlier, an opposition operative said there are also talks with the camp of Rep. Nerry Soon-Ruiz.
Perhaps, GMA should now focus more on mending political fences in the province because the opposition is closely looking for cracks to take advantage of.
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One should immediately confirm wild rumors now that the election period has begun. For example, word reached some reporters that a press conference was cancelled at the last minute because Martinez was taken to the hospital and was in a coma. While text messages on this circulated, Martinez spoke in several ‘Masa’ rallies last week.
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Customs Police Chief Isidro Estrera should exert efforts to identify the Tagalog-speaking guy who called him up and allegedly offered P20 million for him to allow the release of the 60 drums of pseudoephedrine his men seized early this month. He won’t say the guy is a politician. Instead, Estrera said this person was more likely connected with a law enforcement agency.
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Mactan-Cebu International Airport Manager Angelo Verdan should spare the airport authority board the trouble of deciding on his fate after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) denied “with finality” his appointment because he does not have a third level eligibility. The CSC has already denied Verdan’s appointment five times. Still, nagpabaga siya sa iyang nawong by insisting on the position.
(e-mail: Superbalita@ sunstar.com.ph and anol _cebu@hotmail.com.ph cell phone: 09179761193)
(March 29, 2004 issue)
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