Friday, October 20, 2006 Gastardo to stick with Junie
CEBU Provincial Board (PB) Member Jose Ma. Gastardo will remain loyal to the group of former congressman Celestino Mar-tinez Jr. despite the defection of PB Member Joven Mondigo to Gov. Gwendo-lyn Garcia’s camp.
“I will be with the group of Junie Martinez, definitely,” he told reporters yesterday.
Gastardo said he will run again for board member if given the opportunity to run with the support of the Mar-tinez family.
Mondigo, Gastardo’s partner in the PB as representative of the fourth district, the bailiwick of Martinez and his wife, Rep. Clavel Martinez, has announced that he has severed his ties with his long-time political boss.
Mondigo will run for mayor of Medellin in the next elections, this time under the camp of the Garcias.
He was mayor of Me-dellin for 18 years and a board member for nine years.
Mondigo said the distrust that developed because of intrigues and baseless gossips made him transfer to the camp of the Garcias.
Gastardo admitted that they lost a top official and leader of their group whose word was always given weight.
Mondigo was looked up to as an ally of Martinez and a trusted man of the political group.
Gastardo admitted that considering the length of service that Mondigo has served, he has his own followers and loyalists in Medellin.
But Gastardo believes that Martinez is still on top of the situation and continues to be supported by the people of the fourth district. (MBG)
