Danding, but if…

Businessman Eduardo Cojuangco may actually cast his hat into the political derby if the endorsements were overwhelming and he found them sincere.

Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Maranon revealed this post the claim by House Speaker Jose de Venecia that Cojuangco does not want to run for President in 2004. This was during the First Western Visayas Business Forum at the Bacolod Pavilion at the BREDCO Reclamation Center hosted by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Maranon said at lunch at the Cojuangco residence in Pontevedra Saturday, the business tycoon reportedly told guests he would run for president if the endorsements were overwhelming and sincere.

Maranon quoted Cojuangco as saying that if there is need for him to run to save the country, as a Filipino he cannot refuse to respond to the call.

The Negros governor, who belongs to the United Negros Alliance, pointed out that what De Venecia said was quite different from what Cojuangco said during that Saturday luncheon.

Some 40 Lakas members recently urged Cojuangco to run for president. The business mogul remained silent in the face of massive endorsement, giving rise to speculation that he has reservations about the draft.

Thus, De Venecia, who agreed that Cojuangco was very qualified to run for President after he had managed to catapult San Miguel to one of the top multi-national corporations, said Cojuangco’s reluctance to run may force Lakas to study other possibilities.

He cited among the potential Lakas bets – former Educational Secretary Raul Roco, Senator Juan Flavier, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Loren Legarda, Robert Barbers, Vice President Teofisto Guingona.

That revelation by Maranon, however draws the string closer to the possibility that Cojuangco’s choice may soon snowball into an unstoppable drive, gathering tempo by the year end.

Actually, it was President Arroyo who put a damper on the Cojuangco draft when she advised Lakas to focus their eyes on the problems of the country and to forego politics until the end of the year.

As chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Cojuangco enjoys a nationwide constituency. The NPC and the Lakas represents the majority coalition in the House of Representatives and presents a formidable political force if they join hands behind a Cojuangco-for-President Movement.

Businessman Roberto Cuenca recently analyzed the situation and reached the conclusion that only Danding seems to be the possible choice for President. "That’s a major point coming from an erstwhile fallway member of the Cojuangco group. Cuenca, however, stresses that the conclusion was reached during a dialog with political analysts of the province recently.

DENR Western Visayas lawyer Virgilio Caram-Diuoquino filed charges of illegal possession of forest products against Hinobaan Mayor Francisco Bilbao before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office last weekend.

The outspoken and feisty lady lawyer vowed "I can prosecute, I will prove it to you. If I will crush them even if they are mayors."

"I assure Negrenses I will fight for justice despite the numerous threats on my life and see that those responsible for the destruction of the forests go to jail," she stressed before local mediamen.

Dioquino is also the DENR lawyer who is handling the cases against Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz, her husband Nehemias, Barangay Captain Vicente Bacordo, Councilor David Pontillano and 15 others for the alleged rape of the Negros Occidental Forest Reserve in that upland town.

Dioquino, aside from the criminal charges, also intend to file administrative complaints against Dela Cruz, Pontillano and Bacordo.

The case against Bilbao stemmed from the alleged recovery of 2,797.30 board feet of first class lumber valued at P215,438 on the Bilbao property outside his cockfarm which Task Force Ilahas had raided in search of the lumber. Ninety percent of the seized lumber were narra, according to Senior Inspector Willie Senorom, Ilahas task force chief.

Raul Elamo and Antonio Cisante also submitted affidavits. The latter said he saw in the evening of Nov. 26, Solomon Gusarin and Sergio Maruya carrying lumber out of the Bilbao cockfarm.

Elmao, whose house is near the mayor’s land, said sometime in May and June, last year, he saw dump trucks of the town dumping lumber on the sloped portions of the Bilbao property.