Is a new national political party in the making?
The politician guests whom the Capitol invited for Cebu’s 442nd Charter Day celebration implied as much.
Rep. Rudy Fariñas of Ilocos Norte’s first district, over the weekend, predicted that his home province’s Gov. Imee Marcos and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will be the country’s “next senators.”
Fariñas, Governor Marcos, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Rep. Imelda Marcos of Leyte’s second district and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda were among the Capitol’s guests at last Saturday’s luncheon in celebration of Cebu Province’s 442nd Charter Day.
“We smell something big here,” Fariñas said in a speech.
Governor Marcos, in her speech, likened the luncheon to a “miting de avance.”
“We’ve got two more years to go,” she said, referring to the midterm national and local elections in May 2013.
“Go, go, go Gwen,” Governor Marcos exclaimed.
“We are here one in spirit with the Cebuanos. One also in frugality and hard work.
“This we celebrate: the very best of the north, the very best of the south, certainly the best of Bicol, small but terrible and very, very, very hot indeed with the very best of our melting pot, South Cotabato,” she said.
Governor Marcos said she envisioned “One Cebu, One Ilocos Norte, One Philippines.”
Senator Marcos, in his speech, said the presence of officials from different parts of the country gave people reason to ask “What is happening here?”
“It so happened that people from the north, the south, from Central Visayas and—you haven’t seen yet—what’s in East Visayas? Isn’t it Leyte?” Senator Marcos said.
“Come to think of it, we have the north, we have the south, we have the east. Just a little bit more and we will have a partnership with the west. It looks like these people are planning something.”
This is the second time Senator Marcos was invited to Cebu province’s anniversary.
Last year, Governor Garcia also invited him to attend the Cebu’s 441st Founding Anniversary.
Apart from Senator Marcos, Sen. Franklin Drilon was also in Cebu for the opening of the One Cebu Expo last week, while Sen. Jinggoy Estrada attended the Garbo sa Sugbo Awards and last Saturday’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival of festivals.
Richard Gomez, husband of Rep. Lucy Torres of Leyte’s fourth district, also attended the Pasigarbo.
Cebu Province on Saturday signed an agreement for “friendship and cooperation” with South Cotabato.
Garcia also signed an economic agreement with Albay province and a P5-million check for flood assistance to Governor Salceda. /Carmel Loise Matus Correspondent