|
Friday, April 28, 2006
Sonny won’t take on Tomas, Raul
By Rose O. Verzosa Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Former senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña’s registration as a voter of Toledo City will provide him with more options for next year’s elections than staying as a voter of Cebu City.
Sonny told reporters yesterday that if he remains a registered voter of Cebu City, his options would be to run for mayor, congressman or senator.
However, he does not want to run for mayor “because I don’t want to inherit Tomas’ (Osmeña) madness.”
He is not keen in running for Congress either he does not want to run against Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north).
This means that the most likely option left for him when he stays in Cebu City is to seek a seat in the Senate.
With Sonny’s recent transfer to Toledo City, he is keeping his options open for senator, congressman and governor.
In 2004, Sonny voted in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City where he was registered. Last Monday, he registered in Toldeo City where he also has a house.
Meanwhile, Osmeña continued his tirades against his cousin, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña whom he considered as his only remaining enemy.
The former senator intends to write to the Commission on Elections to oppose the sale of the 4.6-hectare Cebu City-owned lot at the North Reclamation Area.
He said the sale of the property to the Gokongweis for only P12,500 per square meter is “grossly disadvantageous” to the City because these prime lots are now valued at P40,000 per square meter to P50,000 per square meter.
As for the plans of Tomas to run for Senate, Sonny advised him to go seek psychiatric treatment instead.
“He should not go to the Senate. He should go to the basement of the Makati Medical Center,” said Sonny.
Although he has no particular person in mind who can contest the mayoralty post from Tomas, Sonny said, “I am willing to support anybody but Tomas.”
In a separate interview, Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) brushed aside reports that Sonny is fielding his son, former vice governor John Gregory “John-John,” Osmeña for the first district congressional seat in next year’s elections.
Gullas said he would rather focus on completing projects for the district than discuss politics this early.
“Like I said, that’s too far out and I’m not interested in politics right now. Serbisyo sa ta. Alagad sa ta,” he told reporters before the unveiling of the marker of the Cebu South Road in Naga, Cebu yesterday morning.
Reporters asked Gullas to comment on Sonny’s announcement that he would ask John-John or San Fernando Mayor Antonio Canoy as the opposition’s candidate against him in the May 2007 elections.
The congressman said his option not to say anything is not an indication that he is not threatened by John-John’s candidacy.
“I’m not sending any message at all. There will be a time for that. I’m sure the people of the first district will make the decision when it comes,” Gullas said.
Rep. Simeon Kintanar, on the other hand, said he has not talk with Sonny about the possibility of having his (Kintanar’s) wife run for Congress in the second district.
He was quoted in a radio dyLA report as saying that even his family is not talking about the possibility. (With AIV)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 28, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
