Radaza: Lapu province ‘yes’, illegal gambling ‘no’

LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Paz Radaza yesterday said her husband still wants Lapu-Lapu to be a province one day but said they don’t need boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud to be elected mayor in Cordova town to achieve this.

“Yes, it’s still his dream, and if Aileen would be given the chance to be in Congress, Congressman Boy promised to guide her, and they might get to do it,” the mayor said in a press conference yesterday.

Their 28-year-old daughter Aileen is running for the lone congressional district of Lapu-Lapu in lieu of Rep. Arturo “Boy” Radaza whose leg injury and health condition prompted him to set aside a reelection campaign.

It takes an act of Congress for a new province to be created after meeting minimum requirements of P20 million annual income, 2,000 square kilometers land area, and population.

Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy last week accused the Radaza family of supporting Salud’s candidacy to have any ally in their plan to transform Lapu-Lapu into a province and a “masiao capital, which would annex Cordova town and to ugrade Olango Island into a municipality.

Mayor Radaza denied having any hand in Salud’s candidacy for mayor in Cordova town.

Olango Island was declared Lapu-Lapu City’s new tourism frontier and is being promoting as an eco-tourism site.

Mayor Radaza said she shares Mayor Sitoy’s opposition to illegal gambling.

“We do not want Lapu-Lapu City to become the masiao capital,” Mayor Radaza said.

“I have a mind of my own. Although, we’re friends with Salud, we are against illegal gambling, I have even ordered police to arrest persons involved in gambling.”

Salud has denied any hand in the illegal numbers game.

Lapu-Lapu City is a major player in Cebu’s tourism. It hosts several world class hotels and resorts, and the Mactan Cebu International Airport.