Soco: I’m no trick candidate

IN spite of  advice of the local administration One Cebu party, businessman Glenn Soco yesterday said he will continue with his vice gubernatorial campaign.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum, Soco denied  speculations that he was a diversionary candidate of One Cebu for the vice gubernatorial post.  He said he was the official candidate by the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

“In fact, my certificate of nomination and acceptance issued by PMP (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) signed by Secretary General Simeon Garcia and endorsed by former president Erap Estrada was attempted to be withdrawn,” Soco said.

He said his certificate of candidacy was even questioned by One Cebu.

“But I really didn’t force PMP to issue me a certificate. Officially, I am a candidate of PMP,” he said in Cebuano.

Clad in an orange polo shirt, Soco told  reporters at thje forum at Marco Polo Plaza  that he didn’t heed One Cebu’s advice  to hold off running because he felt a “heaviness in his heart” to run again for the no. 2 position in Cebu province.

He said there was  no “strategy behind his candidacy.”

One Cebu previously offered him a spot as a Provincial Board (PB) bet representing Cebu’s 6th district.

“Whenever you take the board exams and  fail, you always take a  second chance,” Soco said.

Soco will contest the post against Bakud-Liberal Party (Bakud-LP) stalwart and incumbent Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and former Danao vice mayor Ramon “Boboy” Durano IV of One Cebu.

Soco, who described his decision to run as “principled and educated,” draws hope from his belief that he won in the 2010 polls against the late Cebu vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr.

“Principled in that I ran for this position in 2010 then I continued through my electoral protest and my roaming around the province. Educated in the sense that as a businessman, we would like to reduce everything to scientific data,” he said.

He said “encouraging poll survey results” conducted by his team was  a factor in his decision to run again.

Soco also said he visited Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes to inform him of his election plans.

“Whatever his stand is, I will respect that. But for me, I believe Mayor Jonas as a Mandauehanon will always be welcome to my candidacy. Anyway, we both have the same goal and that is to help the people of Mandaue City,” Soco said. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos