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Friday, March 30, 2007
Lawmaker challenges Gwen for Cebu guv post
By Minerva B. Gerodias
With Katrina Tabanao
CEBU CITY -- Two lawmakers now want to govern the province they have been trying to divide since 2005.
Representatives Antonio Yapha Jr. (Cebu, 3rd district) and Clavel Asas-Martinez (Cebu, 4th district), who are both on their last House term, filed Thursday their certificates of candidacy for governor and vice governor, respectively.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
They were accompanied by former Cebu governor Lito Osmeña, his brother senatorial candidate John “Sonny” Osmeña, Provincial Board (PB) Members Gabriel Luis Quisumbing and Victoria Corominas.
Yapha’s wife, PB Member Estrella Yapha, also filed her candidacy for Congress in the third district.
Yapha and Martinez are running under the Partido Demokratikong Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez, which is among the parties under Team Unity coalition.
This means that, just like in 2004, the major candidates for Cebu governor will be supporting the ticket cobbled together by the Arroyo administration.
The One Cebu party of the Garcias, which is allied with Kampi, has threatened to withdraw support from senatorial candidates of Lakas because of their “unholy” alliance with Sonny Osmeña, who is running under the Genuine Opposition, and for violating the equity of the incumbent rule of the coalition.
Lito and Sonny do not share the same views on the proposal to divide Cebu into four provinces. Sonny is still very much in favor, while Lito is against it.
Lito said there will be no need for the split once Yapha and Martinez are in power because they will address the root cause of the move for division, which includes the abandonment of far-flung barangays and the poor delivery of basic services.
“I’m not here for individuals, I’m here for ideas,” he said. Lito added that even if he wanted to, he cannot run for an elective post for health reasons.
Yapha and Martinez, along with Representative Simeon Kintanar (Cebu, 2nd district), had filed separate bills in 2005 seeking to make their respective districts into separate provinces.
“They will have to explain to the people why they want to be governor and vice governor of a province that they want to divide. Is it to preside over the dismemberment of the province, to make it easier for the province to be broken apart?” congressional aspirant Pablo John Garcia, brother of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, asked.
Yapha explained that if they will be given a chance to govern the province, they will try to correct the reasons that moved them to file the bills. One of these is the unequal distribution of services in the province.
“If we can address the problem, there is no more need to subdivide,” Yapha said, adding that if they will fail to solve the problem, they will push for the division of Cebu.
But Martinez, for her part, said it will be up to the people now.
“Ang tawo na ini, naa na sa katawhan. Di man kami ang magbuot. We will always give it to the people,” she said.
With the approval of the people, she will support splitting Cebu because “we will have more money.” She explained that creating more provinces will mean additional income for Cebu.
Martinez said she is ready to take on Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr.
“I’m a lawyer. I’m a legislator. I was a Provincial Board member and a provincial attorney. I know Cebu’s problems and the details of (Ordinance) 93-1 because it was the provincial attorney of 93-1,” she said.
Ordinance 93-1 allowed Cebu City residents to own the provincial lots they are occupying through a socialized program. However, some 4,000 beneficiaries failed to pay on time, so Capitol now wants them evicted.
Martinez admitted that she initially had no plans to run considering that her son Celestino Martinez III is already running for Congress in the fourth district and her husband Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. for Bogo mayor.
“But there is the need and we are answering the need,” she said.
Yapha admitted that it will be a hard fight against Governor Garcia, but he will be giving the people a choice.
“Sila akong papilion. Asa sila, sa usa ka gobernador nga ilang i-consider nga ilang agawon o sa usa ka gobernador nga ilang i-consider nga ilang suloguon? Ako na ang suloguon (Let the people choose. Would people rather have a governor who behaves like a master, or one who will be their servant. I will be their servant),” Yapha said.
Pablo John, however, said that PDSP has also violated the rule for issuing the certificates of nomination and acceptance for Yapha and Martinez.
“What goes for Lakas goes for other members of coalition. We understand that (Sultan Jamalul III) Kiram is PDSP. Maybe they figured that Kiram is expendable,” Pablo John said. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (March 30, 2007 issue)
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