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Saturday, June 25, 2005
Cebu leaders declare legislator 'persona non grata'
By Jeanette P. Malinao
CEBU CITY -- Angered by the attack against the credibility of last year's elections here, Cebuano leaders signed Friday a manifesto declaring Representative Clavel Martinez as persona non grata to Cebuanos.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Robert Go, Provincial Board members, mayors, vice mayors and some councilors also urged the House of Representatives and the majority to "take strong and decisive action" against Martinez.
But Congresswoman Martinez, in a telephone interview, asked why Cebuanos should feel insulted with what she did, when she was only defending the rights of Cebuanos.
It is not she that should be declared persona non grata, she said, but the one who "instigated" the mayors to sign the manifesto against her.
"Ang mobarug sa katungod sa mga Cebuanos mao na hinuo'y persona non grata? Si Gwen, ang tikasan, dili persona non grata? Unsa na ni, nabali na ang kalibutan (The one who stands up for the rights of the Cebuanos is now persona non grata? Gwen, the cheat, is not persona non grata? What's the world coming to)?" said Martinez.
For Gloria
Garcia said she will handcarry the manifesto when she meets with the President on Monday, along with other Cebuano officials.
"We condemn in the strongest terms possible the baseless, unfounded, reckless and irresponsible statements of (Martinez)," read the manifesto.
What Martinez meant may have been cheating within her district, for the sake of the gubernatorial bid of her husband, some officials added, when it was their turn to speak during Friday's meeting.
A youth group that helped in Arroyo's campaign also showed up, with its leader Mike Lopez's statement: "At the end of the day, we realize that in a fruit basket full of sour grapes, Martinez is the sourest of them all."
Osmeña told fellow elected local leaders that they should not allow Martinez's comment-that there was cheating in Cebu-to go without any reaction.
"We local government officials must make this very clear, that the Senate and Congress are becoming more and more irrelevant to the development of this country," said Osmeña, a comment that got loud applause from his colleagues.
Won't quit
A separate letter addressed to Martinez was also drafted, asking her to resign. Martinez (Cebu, 4th district) said she will never do so because those who are asking that of her were not the ones who voted for her in the first place.
Garcia said Martinez has done more harm than those from the opposition because Martinez claims to be from the majority bloc, which is allied with the administration.
She called Martinez's act in Congress as a "spectacle of a woman in a horrifying tantrum."
When asked Friday if she will remain with the administration, Martinez said she is still "trying to figure things out." In a radio dyLA interview, she also called those who signed the manifesto against her as "sipsip."
"There can be a place for bootlickers among politicians," she added. Martinez said there was no cheating within her district.
The manifesto "doesn't make a difference" for her, she added, as those who signed it were all her adversaries anyway.
Debate
Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot, who is from Martinez's district, challenged Martinez to open first the results from Bogo and other towns led by Martinez's allies.
Former governor Pablo Garcia, for his part, said there is no need for all this fuss about taped conversations, because the election returns submitted to Comelec were the same ones that the opposition received.
"The opposition knows the truth, they just refuse to see the truth...Ang kahapdus sa kapildihan usahay makausab sa maayong pangisip (The pain of defeat sometimes affects the soundness of mind)," said Pablo.
Cebu Vice Mayors' League President Val Chiong noted that it was a sad day for Cebu because it was a fellow Cebuano who tainted the reputation of the elections here. (Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(June 25, 2005 issue)
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