Gibo, not Villar: PJ
REP. Pablo John Garcia said yesterday that One Cebu is supporting Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro and not Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party.
As secretary-general of One Cebu, his reaction was sought after former Cebu City mayor Alvin Garcia said the Garcias have to meet to agree on a common presidential candidate.
He said the administration party in the province has “already announced its choice for president and so everything else is pure speculation.”
With regard to the statement of his cousin Alvin that the Garcias still have to meet, he said that the report surfaced last year but it was never realized.
Garcia, who is running for Cebu City mayor, was quoted in news reports that he is supporting Villar’s presidential bid.
“You know, that was long before. That was last year yet. In fact, I remember what was said was if possible that Kusug (party) in the city will have the same presidential candidate with One Cebu in the province but that discussion has not happened yet,” Pablo John told reporters in an interview at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) after the barangay assembly.
He said there’s always a possibility that the Garcias would meet but whether they would discuss having a common presidential candidate is a different story. He said that as a party, One Cebu has not considered talking to Kusug about its presidential candidate.
“Well, Kusug is not One Cebu. These are two different parties. Kusug is not an extension of or a subsidiary of One Cebu. In fact, Kusug (party) was there even before One Cebu was born. So, lain-lain nga partido, lain ug stand. That’s completely understandable,” he added.
Asked on the strategies they will use to ensure a majority vote for Teodoro in Cebu City, he said they are only promoting the candidate in the province and they believe that the presidential candidate has “some sort of organization” in the city.
“We are in the province. We take care of the province. We have our own campaigns to attend to. So I guess, Gibo also has a plan, Gibo has some sort of organization in the city because I hear that Georgia Osmeña is a Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate so I guess he will do it through Georgia Osmeña,” he added.