SUSPENDED Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia stoked memories of the move to split Cebu province in 2007 as she courted voters of the province’s 3rd district where she is running for congresswoman.
In her campaign speech in Toledo City last Sunday evening, she likened the six-month suspension meted by the Office of the President for usurping the authority of the vice governor’s office as “Sugbuak part II.”
“Kining atong nakitang panggukod, kung kinsa ang ilang tabangan ug kinsa ang talikdan kay wala mahikuyog kanila, mao kana ang Sugbuak. Mao na usab kana ang makapagbuak kanato,” she added.
(The persecution we are seeing — who they would help, who they would reject because one did not go with them – that essentially is Sugbuak. That is what will divide us again now.)
The suspended governor was referring to the move by Cebu lawmakers, namely Antonio Yapha Jr. (3rd district, Clavel Asa’s-Martinez (4th district) and Simeon Kintanar (2nd district) to divide the province into three.
“Mao kadto ang nikadlit sa makasagmuyo nga panghitabo pinaagi sa pag-abuso sa gahum. Ang mandato nga inyong gihatag nako, ilang gitamak-tamakan,” she said.
(That triggered a frustrating situation caused by abuse of power. The mandate you have given me, they trampled upon.)
Garcia also hit on her opponent whom she said is practicing an ‘old and ngil-ad nga politika’ (ugly politics).
She is pitted against Liberal Party’s 3rd district congressional bet Dr. Geraldine Yapha, mayor of Pinamungahan town.
Mayor Yapha is daughter of former 3rd district representative Antonio Yapha Jr who is now running as vice mayor of Toledo City under LP.
Former representative Kintanar is contesting the congressional seat in the 2nd district against Governor Garcia’s father Pablo Garcia.
She reminded the people that the political party dominated by their family, One Cebu, was created to oppose the Sugbuak movement.
Toledo City which has over 88,000 voters is a major battleground of the 3rd district which has over 277,000 voters.
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) leaders attended One Cebu’s Toledo City rally.
The senate bets that came were Mitos Magsaysay, Tingting Cojuangco and Ernesto Maceda.
One of UNA’s three kings Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also came to pitch for the senate bid of his son Jack Enrile.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada represented his father, the former president Joseph Estrada.
The rally in Toledo City was done at the Barba Sports Complex where United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidates also showed up. The wives of UNA senate bets Dick Gordon and Miguel Zubiri represented them in the rally. /Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent