Gwen’s dilemma: Dance in the Sinulog for last time or stay in Capitol

I really want to dance,” said suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia about the coming Sinulog fiesta.

Her final decision, however, still hangs in the balance as she enters her 24th day of staying inside her Capitol office to defy a six-month suspension order.

“This will be my ninth and final year if ever if I will be dancing as governor of Cebu so I am seriously contemplating my options,” she told reporters at her Capitol office yesterday.

“I am aware of the risks. My devotion to the Sto Niño is deep. Binabalansi ko ngayon.”

The risk is that once she steps out of the Capitol, authorities won’t let back in — or as some quarters speculate, this may be a welcome reason to end her three week stay-in protest.

Garcia said she has danced in the Sinulog finale or joined the parade to honor the Sto. Niño as a person pledge in thanksgiving “for his continedued protection and for the blessings He has showed on us.”

When she leads the dance contingent of the Cebu provincial government, she is usually dressed in a designer gown to match a particular theme.

Sinulog Foundation Inc. organizers visited Garcia last week and asked if she would join the Sinulog 2013 on Jan. 20.

They also asked Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale for finanancial asistance, which she approved in the amount of P500,000 instead of last year’s P3 million sum.

If not for the Capitol impasse, Garcia would be joining the Rosquillos Festival dancers of Liloan town.

Liloan won the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo contest in August last year and the right to represent the Capitol in the Sinulog Festival.

Yesterday, her son-in-law Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco criticizescored Acting Gov. Magpale for making them “beg” the Capitol for assistance for the town’s street dancing contingent.

He said Frasco said the town was automatically entitled to assistance as the province’s entry for the Sinulog parade as the winner of last year’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

“Mura naman me ani ug palodhon gyud ni Magpale para supportahan ang among contingent – the Rosquillos Festival – nga atomatik mana nga mo hatag ug budget ang kapitolyo sukad pa kaniadto,” Frasco said.

(It is as if we have kneel before Magpale to get support for our contingent – the Rosquillos Festival – when support should have been automatically provided to us as per the traditional practice.)

Frasco was reacting to an earlier statement by Magpale that was waiting for the Liloan contingent to see her to discuss their participation in the Sinulog Festival.

The Liloan mayor who is married to Garcia’s daughter Christina, a Capitol consultant, blamed politics for the situaiton.

The Sinulog festival will kick off with a Mass at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino at 2:30 p.m. today.

A parade to the Cebu City Sports Center follows./with reports from Correspondents Renan Alangilan and Christine Emily L. Pantaleon