Monday, March 26, 2007 Mongaya: Too late again? By Anol Mongaya Panahom
“WHY this late again?” This is a common reaction of friends when they heard former governor Tingting dela Serna announcing the possibility of running for the congressional seat he held more than a decade ago.
Like the election in 1995 when he lost to Gov. Gwen Garcia’s father Pablo, Tingting decided very late on his reelection bid. By the time he decided, most of his friends had already committed themselves to other candidates thinking that he wouldn’t run.
But loyal supporters pointed out that despite the late entry in 1995, he had majority of the votes in the sixth district, his bailiwick. Can he repeat this feat 12 years after?
As of the moment, most of the ward leaders in the district had already committed to either incumbent Rep. Inday Nerry Soon-Ruiz or challenger Luigi Quisumbing.
Still, a supporter said the Tingting magic would work directly on the masa owing to his mass appeal and combative stance against the status quo, something that we don’t see anymore from the present crop of politicians. Let’s see guys.
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Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob’s withdrawal of support from Inday Nerry’s camp and that of Governor Garcia showed that the local political situation is still fluid. Anything can still happen from now until the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy later this week.
From where I sit, I expect Lakas to come up with a candidate for governor and vice governor at the last minute. However, the Lakas slate will not include a complete set of mayoralty candidates. In several towns, the game is winning over the incumbents.
Can Lakas come up with a candidate capable of toppling the formidable Gov. Gwen Garcia? Unless a new name will crop up, the present gubernatorial possibilities are Reps. Clavel Martinez, Antonio Yapha, Sim Kintanar and Lito Osmeña.
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While local politics heats up as March 30 approaches, Team Unity and Genuine Opposition senatorial candidates separately forge alliances with Cebu leaders to boost their respective candidacies.
Last week, we saw the camps of Mike Defensor, Chavit Singson and Vic Magsaysay separately strengthening their ties with supporters in Cebu.
Defensor, during a gathering at the Cebu Country Club, quietly met some 20 mayors along with businessmen and top law enforcers. Days later, the local Ilocano group Timpuyog launched the Youth for Chavit with Germy Singson. Businessmen who support Vic Magsaysay, meanwhile, set up campaign headquarters in uptown Cebu City.
Not far behind were Genuine Opposition candidates Ping Lacson and Chiz Escudero. A party from Lacson’s camp arrived recently to touch base with local loyalists while Escudero came himself for a separate occasion.
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With March 30 fast approaching, the focus of the lamppost plunder case on two controversial mayors smacks of a special operation job. While many in media are lapping up the spiked dish, there are also those who are asking why spare the big guys who called the shots during the Asean summit preparations?
The lampposts are in three cities. But the people behind the plunder case saw nobody in Cebu City getting a share of the loot. Looks too neat in my book.
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