Tomas will not support bets who endorse Gwen

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña yesterday announced that he will not support those presidential candidates who will endorse the reelection bid of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

While he admitted that Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III could be a strong candidate for president in the next year’s election, he will not support the son of former president Corazon Aquino if he will support the governor.

Osmeña and Garcia have not been in good terms these past few years as a result of the foiled land swap deal as suggested by the mayor between the city and province to stop the eviction of the hundreds of urban poor families living in the province-owned lots in the city.

Speaking before the barangay captains and councilmen of Cebu City during their meeting at the Waterfront Hotel yesterday, Osmeña said he will only support a presidentiable who is willing to help Cebu City.

Even if Osmeña said Noynoy could be a strong candidate for president, but the 61-year old mayor said “Bisa’g pilde ang atong manok, bahala na, basta I will not abandon our urban poor.”

Osmeña got mad at Garcia for rejecting his proposed land swap deal and described the governor as anti-poor who only favors projects that are intended for the rich like the construction of the overpriced Cebu International Convention Center and the purchased of the P98-million submerged properties in Naga.

He criticized the governor on her move to give P10 million to the flood victims in Metro Manila to portray herself as thoughtful, but on the other side she allows the collection of P5 from those who enter the Cebu South Bus Terminal.

The mayor said the governor just wants to make it appear that Cebu province is very rich, but in reality it failed to provide its constituents with a provincial hospital to take care of their health needs.

Osmeña said Garcia even failed to provide cash assistance to the elderly persons in the province unlike in Cebu City where each of the senior citizens, who voted in the last election, were granted P2,000 cash incentives. The mayor also ordered to grant additional P2,000 cash benefits to the senior citizens also for this year.

Meanwhile, Garcia refused to further comment and share what her plans were if ever Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano ran for governor, but she said she is doing well with the Durano’s.

“The only thing I can say is that our relationship is stronger than speculations,” she said.

Earlier, Garcia got the Durano family’s assurance of support for her reelection when Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano IV of Cebu’s 5th district made a public announcement that they are supporting Garcia in 2010.

Red also said in reports that Ace is more interested in running for senator since his experience as a Secretary of Tourism has a national scope.

If Ace decides to run for the Senate, Garcia said she will definitely give him her full support and she will even lobby for more from the Cebuanos.

“Ace has done very well as Secretary of the Department of Tourism. He is not only a Cebuano but he is a good Cebuano. He deserves the full support of Cebu,” Garcia said.

Cebu can give over two million votes for Ace, if ever, Garcia added.

As to her presidential bet, Garcia has not decided yet whom to vote on the 2010 national elections.

“I believe that it is still premature to announce her preference right now because the presidential race is still full of proclamations but no one has filed for his candidacy yet,” Garcia said. — Rene U. Borromeo and Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)