From the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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MANILA, Philippines—While Malacañang was not looking, Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar has quietly gained the support of the biggest political party and the most powerful political family in vote-rich Cebu, according to well-placed party sources.
Villar met with congressmen and local officials belonging to One Cebu and the Garcia family behind closed doors at Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu City on Wednesday.
Although details of the meeting were not disclosed to local journalists, Alvin Garcia, who is seeking to regain the city’s mayoral post, announced an alliance between his party, Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Progress for Cebu) or Kusug, and the NP in a press conference at the same hotel.
His position was different from that taken by his cousin, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia, who founded One Cebu and has expressed support for Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro.
The governor sealed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s victory in the 2004 elections, giving her a one-million vote margin over the late opposition candidate, Fernando Poe Jr. Cebu has 2,416,289 registered voters, according to the Commission on Elections.
The administration coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD Wednesday night downplayed the report of One Cebu’s turnaround of support for Villar.
Gwendolyn’s call
“The political person in Cebu we’re working with is Gwen Garcia. She has more say on Cebu politics,” Francis Manglapus, the ruling party’s secretary, said by phone. “Our point person is Gwen Garcia. She’s 1,000 percent behind Gibo (Teodoro).”
In fact, Teodoro and the other candidates are flying to Cebu on Friday for the kickoff of the local campaign, on the governor’s invitation, Manglapus said.
Gwendolyn has already declared her support for Teodoro. And to prevent speculations even before the start of the local campaign, the governor had the former defense secretary’s picture with those of her and her running mate, Glenn Soco, on billboards.
“We’re giving Gwen a chance to think it through because we’re one party, One Cebu. We want her to have an honorable exit,” said the source, a One Cebu official. “She is still focused on Gibo.”
The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried but failed to reach Gwendolyn through her cell phone. It was learned later that the governor was expected to meet with mayors belonging to One Cebu in a southern town.
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Wow! They say Gibo is GMA's candidate, but Villar is GMA's "real" candidate.
Could the rumors about Villar being GMA's other candidate be true? This could be GMA's back-up plan.
Full story at the
Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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