‘Garcia may have been invited by Erap’

FORMER President Joseph Estrada may have invited Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to run for senate under the United Opposition Philippines Party (UNO) in 2013 according to Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel Jr.

“He was all praises for her, so maybe he invited her,” said Pimentel, who was in Cebu yesterday.

Pimentel said he saw Garcia in one of their party meetings.

Meanwhile, former south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco confirmed that he was invited by Aquilino and Koko Pimental to rejoin his old party the PDP-Laban, which is forming an alliance wth UNO led by vice president Jejomar Binay.

But Cuenco sid he has to first discuss this with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

“I will avoid conflict with Team Rama. Mike and I agreed to talk when I return to Cebu from Jakarta soonest,”said Cuenco in a text message.

Cuenco was a member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan with Senator Pimentel during the Martial Law years.

Pimentel and Dr. Gerardo Aquino Jr., Director of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement allotting P2 million for health care services and scholarships under the senator’s Priority Development Assisstance Fund (PDAF).

Charity patients need to secure a request letter from a coordinator in the hospital. Pimentel designated Santander Vice Mayor Wilson Wenceslao to sign on his behalf the request of patients who avail of the services charged to his pork barrel.

A monthly report will be delivered to Pimentel’s office to monitor the utilization of the funds.

“If the amount exceeds the budget, we are very much willing to provide for the patient to avail the service,” says Pimentel.