Ouanos of Cebu file COCs for mayor, board member

CEBU CITY–The office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Mandaue City turned festive on Wednesday morning when a member of the Ouano clan filed her certificate of candidacy.

Mandaue City Councilor Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon was accompanied by at least 3,000 supporters who wore red and white shirts with prints that read “Ouano Kami (We are for Ouano),” “Anak sa Mandaue (Child of Mandaue),” and “Love Lolypop Ouano-Dizon.”

Adding to the festive atmosphere was the music provided by a drum and bugle corps that accompanied the group from the National Shrine of St. Joseph to the Comelec office where Dizon filed her COC for mayor of Mandaue.

There were performers who danced to the jingle of One Cebu during the filing of the COC. When Dizon was done with filing, supporters launched party poppers, sending confetti in the air, said Mandaue City election assistant Jackie Reuyan.

Dizon, her running mate City Councilor Beethoven Andaya and 10 aspirants for councillorship first attended the 7:30 a.m. Mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph before heading to the Comelec.

With the group were Winston Garcia, former general manager of Government Service Insurance System who is running for governor under One Cebu and running mate former congresswoman Nerissa Soon-Ruiz.

Dizon was formerly a member of the Liberal Party but decided to join the One Cebu party of the Garcias after the administration party picked Rep. Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing of Cebu’s 6th district as its mayoral candidate in Mandaue.

Incumbent Mayor Jonas Cortes, also of LP, will run for 6th district congressman.

Dizon is the first councilor of Mandaue City. She is the daughter of Thadeo Ouano who was mayor of Mandaue from 1998 to 2007. Before her father’s term, her grandfather, the late Alfredo Ouano, also served as mayor of the city.

But the Ouanos fell from grace when Thadeo was implicated in the overpriced purchase of decorative lampposts worth P365 million that were used during the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Cebu.

Thadeo and then Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza were suspended after graft complaints were filed against the mayors, their engineering personnel and contractors.

Thadeo’s son, Jonkie ran for mayor in 2007 but was defeated by Mayor Jonas Cortes who went on to serve three terms. Cortes is currently serving his last term.

Thadeo recovered from the controversy and was elected board member for the 6th district of Cebu last 2010 and is now serving his second term.

On Wednesday, Thadeo filed his COC, seeking another term. Jonkie filed the COC on behalf of his father. CDG