REP. Pablo Garcia (Cebu 2nd district) yesterday said the 15 mayors in his district are sticking with One Cebu.
He said he isn’t aware of any mayor who has plans to transfer to the Liberal Party (LP).
Garcia in an interview last Saturday in Oslob gave this assessment after former senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmena told a gathering last Friday that LP provincial chairman, Hilario “Junjun” Davide III, had been going around the second district and introduced some officials there to LP officials in the national level.
The Garcias – Rep. Pablo Garcia, his son, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu 3rd district); and his daughter, Gov. Gwen Garcia, lead the One Cebu party.
Pablo, however, said that he wasn’t discounting the possibility of mayors transferring to the other party.
“Wa sab ko masayod kay dili man ako ang nagdala sa ilang huna-huna. Anything is possible in politics. Wala pa man mga talimad-on (I don’t have any idea since I don’t have a hold on them and what’s going on in their mind. Anything is possible in politics. But there are no signs yet),” he told reporters.
He said he often meets with the mayors and their attendance would show their support for the One Cebu party.
He said these town mayors know how much Governor Garcia has helped them and would continue to do so.
The 2nd district is made up of the towns of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Ronda and Dumanjug.
On his son, Rep. Pablo John’s plan to run for governor in 2013, Rep. Pablo said his youngest son was following his footsteps.
“Gi-aghat ko nga modagan pagka-gobernador. Maayo man akong pagkabutang didto. I was in my element in Congress apan tungod sa hangyo sa uban, nidagan ko pagka-gobernador (I, too, was persuaded to run for governor. I was then comfortable with my position in Congress. I was in my element in Congress but because of the request of others, I ran for governor),” said Rep. Pablo.
“PJ is also a two-term congressman. There were also requests for him to run for governor which are difficult to turn down,” he said in Cebuano.
In another development, Provincial Board (PB) Member Thadeo Ouano said he was open to the possibility of running for the 6th district congressional seat.
He told reporters during the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) convention, said he was shocked to learning of Rep. Luigi Quisumbing’s transfer to the LP.
He said he only read about it in the newspapers.
When asked if he planned to run for vice governor, Ouano said that that hadn’t reached his mind yet.
He said that he would have to discuss his political plans with the his party, the One Cebu party. /Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent