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Thursday, April 22, 2004
Gwen ‘risks’ losing support of Ouano ally
A DEAL between Sen. John “Sonny” Osmeña and former Mandaue City mayor Alfredo “Pedong” Ouano may not only displace reelectionist Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, but may also put at risk the support one of the Ouano family members has given to gubernatorial candidate Gwendolyn Garcia.
Gov. Pablo Garcia, Gwen’s father, refused to speculate on what the Ouanos would do with his daughter this May 10 but said they are “doing what needs to be done from moment to moment.”
“Di lang mi mo-kompyansa (We will not be taking chances),” the governor said during his news conference yesterday.
While Pedong already professed support for the gubernatorial bid of Vice Gov. John Gregory “John-john” Osmeña, Sonny’s son, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo “Teddy” Ouano, Pedong’s son, maintains he is still with Gwen.
It was Pedong who worked to convince Gwen to run for the top Capitol post before he decided to side instead with John-john. John-john, for his part, cut a deal with Pedong’s daughter, Opao Barangay Captain Jovita “Joy” Ouano, who is running for Congress against Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district).
Governor Garcia admitted yesterday that they need the Ouano family to win in vote-rich Mandaue.
Not final
However, he said they are still confident that Gwen will “win big” in the sixth district because of her strong showing in the surveys they commissioned.
Besides, nothing is final yet on the proposed forging of an alliance between the senator and the Ouano family, Pedong said yesterday.
Mayor Ouano said he will not object to the proposed political agreement but he will also not be a party to it.
Pedong said he still has to wait for the result of his meeting with Osmeña and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza this weekend, before he will pledge support for the senator’s reelection bid.
Also expected to join the meeting are the barangay captains of Lapu-Lapu.
Pedong admitted that the senator requested them during their meeting last Tuesday to support his reelection bid and they, in turn, requested him to support the congressional bid of his daughter Joy Ouano, especially in Lapu-Lapu City.
The deal, if it pushes through, will eventually force Osmeña into “junking” Soon-Ruiz in favor of Joy.
“It should be reciprocal,” said Pedong.
Fix mistakes
Pedong also clarified that they did not discuss campaign funds, which he finds unimportant. “Ako siyang giingnan nga dili mi mangayo nimo. Pero kung naa kay ihatag, among dawaton,” said Pedong. (We told the senator we are not asking for money from him. But if he gives campaign funds, we will accept.)
If their alliance is finalized, Pedong said he will personally go up onstage during their rallies to convince the Mandauehanons to vote for Osmeña and “to give him a chance to correct his mistakes.”
Teddy, who has been campaigning against Os-meña, was not present during the meeting, which was attended by Pedong, Joy, some Mandaue City councilors and barangay captains.
He said he still has to think whether or not he will join his father in throwing support for Osmeña, whom he had accused of blocking development projects for Mandaue.
Pedong, for his part, said Osmeña assured that should he win another term as senator, he will sponsor a counterpart bill in the Senate making Mandaue a lone congressional district.
For now, Lapu-Lapu City officials still support Soon-Ruiz, until Senator Osmeña orders otherwise, Vice Mayor Norma Patalinjug said yesterday.
“We have to hear it from him. He is our number one senator, og unsa’y iyang isulti matuman (We will do what he says),” Patalinjug added.
Patalinjug and Mayor Arturo “Boy” Radaza are both seeking a fresh mandate on May 10.
Although Lakas is supporting Corazon Ouano and Manuel Degollacion, and Osmeña is a guest candidate on the administration’s K4 ticket, the senator is openly supporting the Radaza-Patalinjug tandem. KMF/ROV/OCP
(April 22, 2004 issue)
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