Opposition undecided on presidential bet

CEBU, Philippines - Opposition leaders in Cebu City are still weighing in on who among the national political parties they want to be affiliated with for the 2010 elections.

Businessman Jonathan Guardo admitted that they talked to Senator Manny  the other day when the presidential contender visited the city.

Guardo said that the senator asked them to affiliate with the oldest political party in the Philippines, the Nacionalista Party (NP) of which  is president.

But the businessman clarified that they did not give any answer yet to the senator as some political leaders also want to talk to them.

As a matter of fact, opposition leaders in the city had a scheduled meeting with ousted president Joseph “Erap” Estrada yesterday evening.

The ousted president, an endorser of Guardo’s Arthro food supplement, has already declared his intent to run again for president in next year’s elections.

Guardo, however, said that just because Estrada endorsed his products does not mean they automatically support his candidacy.

It was learned that Estrada has already proclaimed Guardo as the congressional candidate of his political party, the Partido ng Masang Pilipino.

The announcement came last July when the ousted president was the guest at a dinner hosted by opposition leaders in the city headed by the businessman.

“Amo pa gyud unang timbang-timbangon kung kinsa ang among suportahan kay other members also have their own personal preferences but ultimately we will decide as a group and then come up with a common candidate,” Guardo explained.

“Cebu is a vote-rich province and the politics here is very complicated,”  also said during the press conference yesterday.

Although he admits that he has some talks with local politicians here he refused to divulge who these politicians are.

But prior to the press conference,  was overheard commenting that Lahug barangay captain Maryann de los Santos was such a “feisty lady”.

The FREEMAN tried to get the statement of De los Santos but she neither confirmed nor denied that she had a talk with the presidential aspirant. She just texted The FREEMAN a smiley.

But Mayor Tomas Osmeña believes that the group of Guardo will eventually support the candidates of NP and the presidential bid of senator .

 is said to be the richest presidential aspirant in the country and has reportedly spent millions of pesos already for his political ads and other political activities despite the fact that the election period has not started yet.

Osmeña has attached weight on the money of the senator and anticipated that Guardo will leave his endorser, Erap, in favor of .  

“Kay ang ilang gigamit mao man ang highest bidder ba, I already anticipated that, mao man na ang akong prediction ba that they will leave Erap,” Osmeña said. 

The Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan, a political party headed by Osmeña and the Panaghiusa, chaired by former senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña have already expressed their support for the tandem of senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and Manuel Roxas in the presidential and vice presidential race, respectively.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who is the provincial chairman of the administration party has not yet even declared as to whom she will be supporting in the presidential and vice presidential race.

However in previous interviews, Dumanjug Mayor Cesar Baricuatro, who is the president of Cebu Mayor’s League said that he is supporting the candidacy of . A few weeks from now, many politicians in Cebu will take their oath as members of NP.

Forty-four mayors in Cebu are members of the ruling administration party and 28 of them have already signed a manifesto supporting administration presidential bet Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines in Manila two weeks ago.

At least 738 mayors nationwide have expressed the same sentiment.

 said that he will formally announced his complete slate in the senatorial lineup including his vice president by the second week of November. — Elly Bolonos and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)