Garcia cites support of Pampanga execs to Senate candidacy

CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said officials of Pampanga will support her senatorial bid in 2013.

Governor Garcia said she had a luncheon meeting with Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan, who was with the city’s barangay captains and councilors when she visited there last Sunday.

“I went to Pampanga on the invitation of the officials of Angeles City as their Mother’s Day guest. Prior to that, we were invited to a lunch with their officials and they said they’re going to support my bid for national office,” she said.

Also in the gathering were Mabalacan City Mayor Oking Morales and Pampanga 1st District Rep.  Carmelo Lazatin who shared the same sentiment with Pamintuan in backing the governor.

Meanwhile, the officials discussed a potential partnership between the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport formerly known as Clark International Airport and Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Garcia said both airports are needed as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is experiencing overcapacity.

“We have a common interest in MCIA and Clark International Airport in the light of the difficulties in NAIA, which we all know always have delayed flights. The runway is beyond its capacity to accommodate the current number of flights,” said Garcia.

“That’s why we see our airports as viable alternatives, so we will study if we can make an agreement between the two on how to help each other. Even now, we already have direct flights from Cebu to Angeles,” she added.

Garcia said there are also plans of making Angeles City a sister city of Cebu.

The Cebu governor had disclosed her plan to run for the Senate after meeting with Vice President Jejomar Binay, head of the United Nationalist Alliance Party.