DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio perhaps elicited amusement from the crowd on Monday when she campaigned for the two candidates for Cebu governor: Gwen F. Garcia and Agnes A. Magpale. She is correct when she said that since she is not from Cebu she has no official bet.
“We are helping everybody who are helping the administration of President Duterte. Naa ko diri sa inyoha karong buntaga para mangampanya ko kang (former) governor Gwen Garcia. Unyang hapon, igtungtong nako sa ilang stage, (moingon ko nga) ‘naa ko dinhi sa inyong atubangan kay mangampanya ko para kang Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale,’” she said.
Being related to Agnes Almendras-Magpale and as party mate of Gwen (PDP-Laban), Sara played well her card. She came to Cebu to ink the sisterhood ties with Liloan, whose mayor is Christina Frasco, Gwen’s daughter. And as head of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP), she inked an alliance with Hugpong ng Mandauehanon sa Pagbabago, the group of Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing, who is seeking reelection and is being challenged by Rep. Jonas Cortes.
That the HnP has no alliance with the Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (Bakud) party of the Duranos in Danao City and the fifth congressional district is understandable because in the last presidential elections, the Duranos supported Grace Poe. The other reason was personal, a reliable source said.
In the 2016 elections, Quisumbing and Cortes supported Gov. Junjun Davide and Magpale. Now, the group of Cortes supports Gwen for governor. Is Quisumbing supporting the tandem of Magpale and Davide?
On Sunday, former president and now House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo came to Cebu City to sign, as witness, the compromise agreement between the City of Cebu and Cebu Province over the 32-hectare lot in Barangay Apas. Arroyo, when she was the president, declared the area as a socialized housing site. The property is part of Camp Lapu-Lapu, home of the Central Command.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Davide signed the agreement. The activity was attended by Magpale and some city and provincial officials.
The land was donated by the Province of Cebu in 1959 for the military’s use. Gwen, when she was governor, revoked the donation because the 32-hectare land has squatters but Arroyo opposed it and issued instead Proclamation 409 declaring the area as socialized housing site for the illegal settlers who are mostly retired and active soldiers.
Why the presence of Arroyo on Sunday and Sara on Monday in Cebu after the filing of the certificates of candidacy ended on Oct. 17?
Critics of Osmeña feel that Arroyo’s presence and the giving of the lots to the informal settlers in Barangay Apas are to the advantage of the mayor and the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan on election day. But Vice Mayor Edgar Labella is happy for the informal settlers. Labella is challenging Osmeña for mayor.
Would the presence of Arroyo and Sara improve the winning chances of the candidates identified with them? Of course, the voters know better.