Thursday, March 01, 2007
Lapu’s top 2 split, ready to do battle
ONCE allies, now rivals, both Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and Vice Mayor Norma Patalinjug have completed their slate for the City Council and are ready to compete against each for the highest post in the city.
Only three years ago, the two teamed up to block the comeback of the Weigel clan, when the late mayor Ernest Weigel Jr. fielded his wife in the mayoral race against Radaza in the 2004 elections.
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“Why don’t you make up with Radaza?” Patalinjug quoted former senator Sonny Osmeña, founding chairman of the regional party Alayon, as saying sometime last year.
Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu City, 6th district) also reportedly tried to reconcile them, but Patalinjug pointed out it was Radaza who booted her out from the group.
Radaza has five incumbent councilors in his Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) ticket, including Mario Amores, who will be his running mate. The others are Damian Gomez, Rudy Potot, Cornelio Pahang and Marcial Ycong.
The newcomers are Junrey Gestopa, Queenie Malingin, Melissa Dignos Vidal and Junard Chan.
“We are not being courted by the opposition party. Ang pulong sa mayor nga NPC maoy among partido (Mayor Radaza has told us we will be with NPC),” Chan said in a phone interview.
Not close
Patalinjug, for her part, claimed that Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has taken her and her group under the One Cebu party, which also established an alliance with President Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Masang Pilipino.
“I don’t foresee a close fight. He won in 2001 and 2004 because I gave him my supporters, whose allegiance has not been swayed since the time of my late husband,” Patalinjug said. Patalinjug’s husband, Max, served Lapu-Lapu as mayor for 21 years.
Her candidates for councilor are Michael Ouano, reelectionist Ramon Patalinjug, Albertino Mata, Rey Berdin, former congressman Efren Herrera, Charles Vailoces, Pastor Cuenca, Jonax Igot, Titing Sinerpida and a barangay captain she refused to identify. (AIV)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 1, 2007 issue)
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