Did PMP abandon Glenn Soco? Comelec to check faxed ‘withdrawal’
IF someone is pulling a political joke on businessman Glenn Soco, it couldn’t happen at a more awkward time.
A document faxed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) province office yesterday said the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) has withdrawn its nomination of Soco as vice governor candidate for Cebu.
A surprised Soco said there was no withdrawal as far as he knows.
“Not yet,” Soco told Cebu Daily News, “ but if ever there is, I will respect their decision.”
“It will still not deter me from pursuing my bid for vice governor. I still believe that the people will look beyond traditional and partisan politics in choosing their leaders,” he said.
“But the thought or motive alone (of a withdrawal) is a sad day for Cebu politics,” he added.
The PMP was the party Soco turned to when his One Cebu party passed him over as vice gubernatorial bet in favor of Danao City vice mayor Ramon “Boboy” Durano IV.
Cebu Provincial Comelec Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano yesterday said he can’t accept the document yet as an official withdrawal until he checks its origin.
The fax contained the signature of lawyer Simeon Garcia, the one who also signed Soco’s Certificate of Nomination (CONA) submitted to the poll office on Wednesday.
“For now, we can’t trace whether the document is authentic,” he said.
Castillano said he would forward it to the Comelec law department in Manila which advised him to secure the original document before giving it due course.
He said they tried to contact the number printed in the fax document but there was no response.
Soco was Gov. Gwen Garcia’s runningmate in 2010. He protested his election loss to the late vice gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. but the Comelec ruled against him.
On Wednesday, Soco jubilantly filed his second bid for the vice governorship, saying he was ready to push ahead alone because he had “a very clear platform of government” that was “beyond partisan politics.” His main rival will be incumbent Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale.
