Wednesday, January 03, 2007 Third district to see showdown between Yapha, Pablo Joh
CEBU’S third district will see an election showdown, where Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia seeks to challenge the hold of Rep. Antonio Yapha over his turf of six towns and a city.
Yapha’s only regret, he told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday, is running in the 2004 elections, his last term, when his opponent then was “way hinungdan.”
“Mao toy akong sayop. Kami unta to ang magsangka ni Pablo John ron,” he said. (That was my mistake. I would have faced Pablo John.)
Pablo John, for his part, takes this as a sign that Yapha does not like the “existing situation.”
Weakness
“It’s too early in the game to concede weakness. He should not show weakness because that’s what people are looking for. Don’t give up too easily,” said Pablo John.
Pablo John takes pride on a lineup of “young blood and fresh faces who embrace new politics” in Pinamungajan, but Yapha reminded Pablo John that his father, former governor Pablo “Pabling” Garcia, never won in the third district in any of his three gubernatorial elections.
“When Pabling first ran for congressman, pildi unta to siya ug wala pa ang Pinamungajan (he would have lost if not for Pinamungajan),” he said as his message to Pablo John.
In response, Pablo John said that even if this was true and if this is how Yapha analyzes existing political realities in the district, there’s nothing he can do.
“As his wife’s opponent, I will be the last person to advise him against living in the past. That’s okay, it will be to my advantage,” he said, adding that they have the “strongest group the third district has ever seen in the last 10 years.”
Lineups
Barred from seeking reelection, Yapha will slide down for mayor of their hometown Pinamungajan where his son Jeffrey is on his last term.
His wife, Provincial Board Member Estrella Yapha, will run for congress. They are still deciding on a position for Jeffrey, who will be either his running mate or will run for councilor.
The two groups bared their lineup yesterday, with each group claiming to have the support of three of six incumbent mayors. Yapha claims hold over Toledo City.
However, Yapha admitted the fact that Pablo John’s sister, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, won in the third district in the 2004 elections. But Yapha said this was only because of the chaos and confusion within his group, wherein former senator John Osmeña asked them to support former congressmen Celestino Martinez Jr. instead of Osmeña’s son, former vice governor John Gregory “John-john” Osmeña, who also ran for governor.
It’s a different story now, as it’s a “one on one” fight, added Yapha.
For the mayoral race in Pinamungajan, Gov. Garcia and Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. endorsed last Dec. 30 Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office Chief Glen Baricuatro.
“It is an honor to be considered as a potential candidate. We still have to decide but I’m very proud and very happy with the endorsement,” Baricuatro said yesterday.
Meanwhile, Pablo John said that the split-Cebu bills would be an issue against Rep. Clavel Martinez in case she runs for governor.
Martinez, author of Cebu del Norte, reportedly said she is “not closing the door” to the possibility, but Pablo John asked why would she run for governor in a province that she wants to dismember. (JPM)
