CEBU, Philippines - There is a big chance that the Garcias will be supporting Vice President Noli de Castro should the latter gets chosen by the administration party to run for President next year, said Cebu 2nd District Representative Pablo Garcia.
“Mag-meeting mi but mostly likely si Noli,” the Garcia patriarch said, following a meeting with 14 other leaders of the Lakas-Kampi with President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo in Malacañang last week.
Garcia said he would call for a meeting with his children to formally discuss their election plans, but for now, the “general” sentiment is reportedly to support De Castro’s.
With how things are going, the administration candidate for president would be a toss between Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro who enjoys the support of party members and De Castro who is placing prominently in recent surveys.
Garcia said his family has a “special attachment” to De Castro. It was the vice president who administered the oath of office of Garcia’s daughter, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in 2004 and 2007 when she won as Governor.
In 2004, Garcia first approached Senate President Manuel Villar to administer the oath but Villar’s wife Cynthia reportedly begged off because of her closeness to former Rep. Clavel Asas- Martinez, wife of Celestino Martinez Jr. who ran and lost to Gwen.
Garcia said he has enough reason to stick with the administration, especially that he is now an official of Lakas-Kampi.
He said his family also has “personal relations” with former president Joseph Estrada but the latter reportedly did not seek his support for next year. Estrada and Senator Loren Legarda were among the principal sponsors of the wedding of Garcia’s grandchild Cristina early this month.
Legarda herself already declared that she is “ready” to be the country’s next president.
Yet Garcia admitted the administration party needs to have a candidate “as early as possible.”
Garcia also said it is most likely that local party One Cebu will support De Castro, considering that the governor is the provincial chairperson of Lakas-Kampi.
Garcia’s son, 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia, however said that despite his father’s appointment, he and his sister will continue to focus on One Cebu party. He said that while One Cebu entered into an alliance with Kampi in the 2007 elections, such changes reportedly no longer exist with the merger of Lakas and Kampi. — Garry B. Lao/JMO (FREEMAN NEWS)