Garcias’ One Cebu Party dumps Binay

The photo taken on Feb. 16, 2016, shows the One Cebu Party endorsing Vice President Jejomar Binay (third from left) for president in the May 9 election. On Monday, March 21, the party led by Winston Garcia broke off with Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance party and effectively withdrew its support for the Vice President. TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS FILE

CEBU CITY — The Garcia-led One Cebu Party confirmed that it has broken its alliance with Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) Party for allegedly neglecting to include them in their campaign sorties in Cebu province.

In a press conference in Cebu City on Monday morning, One Cebu Party president and gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia said their decision to sever ties with UNA has been thoroughly deliberated on by its members.

“One Cebu entered into an alliance with UNA in the belief that it will be a partnerships of equals. UNA treated One Cebu like Imperial Manila treats the rest of the Philippines (with disrespect),” Garcia read the party statement.

Winston cited the public rally of UNA on Monday night in Lapu-Lapu City in which they were not invited.

He also said that UNA did not inform or coordinated with them on Binay’s sortie in Cebu last Thursday in Carcar City, Dalaguete, Argao and Talisay City.

“Right from the outset, UNA regarded the alliance as nothing more than a marriage of convenience,” he said.

One Cebu earlier forged an alliance with UNA last month and declared support for Binay.

As to which candidate they would support now for the national election, Winston said they might go for a free zone or they might decide to support one candidate.

As to who this candidate would be, Winston said, they would still have to conduct consultations with their leaders in Cebu.  SFM