SHOWING they are still a formidable force, the leaders of PaDayon Pilipino gathered at a mountaintop resort Saturday and endorsed former Mayor Vicente Emano as their standard bearer in the 2016 elections.
The PaDayon Pilipino leaders also came up with the complete slate of candidates who will run for the 16-seat City Council for Cagayan de Oro’s two districts.
Insiders said there were 300 to 600 PaDayon Pilipino stalwarts who gathered at the Ultra Winds Resort in Baungon, Bukidnon last Saturday.
Councilor Ramon Tabor said Emano readily accepted the endorsement from the party leaders.
“Mayor Emano has accepted the endorsement from the party leaders and he will be our standard bearer,” Tabor said.
Councilor Alden Bacal also confirmed this saying Emano has answered the clamor from his followers to seek again the mayoralty seat of Cagayan de Oro.
“(Former) Mayor Emano has answered the clamor. He will run again in the 2016 elections,” Bacal said.
Tabor said the party has chosen him to seek the representation of the 2nd district in the House of Representatives which will be vacated by third-termer Representative Rufus Rodriguez who is ineligible to run again.
He said the party has yet to decide which of the two—Vice Mayor Ian Acenas and Councilor President Elipe—will run for Congress in the first district against Liberal Party stalwart Representative Rolando “Klarex” Uy.
“There are also other third termer councilors from our party to consider,” Bacal, who is also ineligible to run because he is a third-termer, said.
Tabor and Bacal said the party has chosen their City Council candidates for the city’s 1st district namely: re-electionists councilor Annie Daba and Inday Dahinoc; Lawyer Alvin Calingin; former councilor Pepe Abbu and Simeon Licayan; Barangay Kauswagan chairman Pedro Balite; radioman Ronnie Waniwan and businessman Lourdan Suan.
Aside from Bacal, PaDayon Pilipino councilors Addie Barba and Dante Pajo can no longer run for re-election being third termers.
For the second district, the party has chosen as their candidates Barangay 21 Gigi Go; re-electionist councilors Nadia Emano Elipe, Leon Gan, and Jun Acenas; former councilor Ian Nacaya; human rights lawyer Oscar Musni; Suzette Magtajas Daba; and Conrad Tan.
Last Saturday’s meeting was a show of force after the magic of Emano ended when Oscar Moreno defeated him 109,886 votes to 92,033 votes in the 2013 elections.
Barangay 23 chairman Jaime Frias II said at least 54 barangay chairpersons were present in the meeting and have signed the endorsement for Emano to run again.
Frias said at least three barangay chairmen were like him former supporters of Moreno who have chosen to side with Emano this time.
Last Saturday’s political caucus was kept under wraps and only a few selected journalists were invited by the PaDayon Pilipino party leaders.