Battle on for Cebu’s biggest district

With its almost 300,000 voters, the biggest congressional district in Cebu has Talisay as a hefty anchor, the biggest component city with 94,000 voters.

Will the 1st district still favor a President Aquino candidate as it did in the 2010 election?

The Gullas-led Alayon Party has vowed to  deliver the votes for One Cebu gubernatorial candidate Rep. Pablo John Garcia.

“We are campaigning heavily for him. We will make PJ win in the 1st district,” said Rep. Eduardo Gullas, who is seeking the mayorship  of Talisay City after ending three terms in congress.

He and heir apparent, 27-year-old grandson Gerald Anthony “Samsam” raised the hands of Garcia during Alayon’s proclamation rally last Saturday in Naga City.

But its the Liberal Party’s Hilario “Junjun” Davide III who won the gubernatorial race in the 1st district during the last May 2010 election.

Davide said he’s confident of winning there again even though most of the most mayors remain with Alayon.

The district includes towns of Minglanilla, San Fernando and Sibonga, as well as the cities of Carcar, Naga and Talisay.

(Gullas is endorsing a mixed ticket in May. While he announced  support for Garcia, he  is endorsing the Liberal Party’s Agnes Almendras-Magapale for vice governor.  He said Alayon Party will only lend its support to the LP-Nacionalista coalition senatorial ticket.

Meanwhile, Pablo John criticized Davide for claiming that Talisay City was his “bailiwick.”

“Not by any stretch of the imagination can Talisay City be said to be an LP bailiwick. We do not even claim it as One Cebu bailiwick. That is an Alayon bailiwick,” he said.

“If they say that Talisay City is their bailiwick that is an insult to Congressman Eduardo Gullas.”

LP Cebu spokesperson Ethel Natera clarified that Davide didn’t claim that.

Natera said Davide recalled that he won heavily in Talisay City and the 1st district in the 2010 elections even though he was not officially supported by Alayon.

“I am very hopeful this will still be the same scenario this time. The residents in the 1st district are discerning voters and are well aware of the issues and choices that need to be made for the betterment of our province in these elections,” he said.

Davide’s ally, Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, shifted more than P400 million in pork barrel funds for a road widening project covering Carcar to Naga cities, a pet project of Gullas.

Osmeña at the time said this was his way of thanking first district voters for their support for Davide in 2010 and would show he could get more if Davide is supported again. With a report of Carmel Matus