Tuesday, January 30, 2007 Cordova mayor to leave politics to teach full time
CORDOVA Mayor Ar-leigh Sitoy is not running for vice mayor this coming elections, while their political foe, Vice Mayor Danilo Sinugbuhan, said he is not ungrateful to the Sitoys.
Vying for mayor are Arleigh’s father Adelino and Sinugbuhan, Adie’s first cousin. Their mothers are sisters.
The Sitoys took Sinugbuhan’s intention to run against Adie as an offense, saying they were the ones who introduced the vice mayor to politics.
After three consecutive terms, Arleigh and Sinug-buhan are barred from seeking the same post. So they must seek other positions if they want to run again.
Options
Sinugbuhan said in an earlier interview he would move up while Sitoy decided to take a leave.
“There is life outside politics,” said Mayor Sitoy, who plans to finish his doctorate in business administration, help his father and teach full time.
If there are opportunities to be appointed for a government position, he will study the offer, he said.
He finds the idea of sliding down to run as vice mayor of his father repulsive.
“Di ko, ma-isyu ta og dynasty ana (“No they might accuse us of building political dynasty),” Sitoy told Sun.Star Cebu.
He wants to give his father the chance to serve.
“Why deprive a man the chance of finishing something he planned for Cordova?” Sitoy asked. He said Adie has less time left in his life than Sinugbuhan, who still has more time ahead of him.
“Kung wa koy utang na loob, sige na lang if that’s the way they look at it,” Sinugbuhan, for his part, said.
Sinugbuhan said that when the Sitoys picked him up as Arleigh’s running mate in 1997, they already knew he had the potential. They both won in the 1998 elections and went on to serve three consecutive terms.
“Sila’y nakapahimong tao, pero kung laing tao ang ibutang diha nga dili saleable, di sad tingali modaog (Yes they make politicians. But if they choose someone who is not saleable, that someone will never win in any election),” said Sinugbuhan.
The two will face each other in a debate this February, which Jaycees will sponsor, Sitoy said. (OCP)
