Monday, February 12, 2007 Mongaya: Realignments By Anol Mongaya Panahom
A LAST minute maneuver to calendar the Sugbuak bills with the approval of Speaker Joe de Venecia has prompted Gov. Gwen Garcia to bolt out from Lakas-CMD. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, however, need not worry because Gwen’s “One Cebu” Party supports her administration. The move was directed at JDV.
“One Cebu” Party is also an attempt by the Garcias to consolidate their political leadership in Cebu province. The challenge now is to form bailiwicks that they neglected to do since 1995.
However, the district bosses, Reps. Eddie Gullas and Red Durano, quickly moved to prevent the Garcias from encroaching into their turn without their knowledge. They expressed support for the new party but asserted their independence with their respective parties - Alayon and Bakud.
They obviously don’t want to suffer the fate of Rep. Sim Kintanar who lost the support of majority of his mayors and barangay captains.
Now, the Kintanars are pushing Board Member Cary Kintanar to run for the second district seat but former governor Garcia is challenging him.
With Gwen as the sitting governor and the support of GSIS boss Winston, the former governor is the candidate to beat in the second district.
However, there are two things that might work for Kintanar. If he wins big in the anti-Gwen Dalaguete town and hometown Argao, he can practically win in the whole district.
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Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Boy Radaza has earned an unwanted enemy when he ordered the demolition of a reclamation and wharf project in Agus Cove, Mactan, Lapu-lapu city. Certifications from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) showed that there was no justified reason for the demolition.
The demolition prompted businessman Richard King to bring out a video of a conversation with Radaza’s favored contractor Nelson Yu of Young Builders. The contractor, who got most of the projects in Lapu-Lapu City, boasted of giving three percent of a project worth P500 million to Mayor Radaza.
The video, in my view, could lead into a well-publicized investigation by the Ombudsman when the election campaign starts to heat up. His opponent erstwhile Vice Mayor Norma Patalingjug has received an issue on a silver platter.
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Cebu City residents are now awaiting the decision of Dodong Gullas. An election with two protagonists slugging it out is exciting. Leaving Mayor Tomas Osmeńa alone without any challenger will give him time to help his friend Gabby Leyson who will be running for election in Talisay City.
But how true is the tsismis that the weakness of Mayor Soc Fernandez and Didi Gullas’ lack of interest have prompted Ediegul to run for mayor in Talisay again? After all, he is the one practically running City Hall.
Meanwhile, Atan Guardo’s issues against Rep. Tony Cuenco failed to dent the veteran’s armor. While Guardo’s supporters in media insist that they have documents to prove their accusations, I think their most effective propaganda move so far are the Artho ads though it addresses only a narrow market segment, the senior citizens.
(superbalita@sunstar.com.ph or anol.blogs.friendster.com/anols_blog)
