Davide ready to face Gwen in 2010

CEBU, Philippines - Former city councilor Hilario Davide III said yesterday he is ready to face Governor Gwendolyn Garcia should the Liberal Party appoint him as its candidate for the gubernatorial post.

Davide admitted Garcia is a “powerful politician,” but said he is not afraid to challenge her bid for reelection, especially now that he has his family’s blessings.

Davide said his father, former Chief Justice and now Ambassador to the United Nations Hilario Davide Jr., has given him the go signal to run for governor. He also got the support of his wife and elder daughter with the latter reportedly requesting that she be made to speak during the campaign.

Davide resigned from the City Council a few days after he accepted the offer to become provincial chairman of the Liberal party.

Davide, however, said his position as provincial chairman does not necessarily guarantee his nomination as gubernatorial candidate for the Liberal Party and, while his family name still rings a bell years after his father presided over the impeachment proceedings against former president Joseph Estrada, some political observers believe the young Davide still has a lot to prepare for if he intends to run against Garcia.

Some have even joked that he needs to consume “a ton of Sinanduloy and do a lot of Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo as fast to win in Cebu gubernatorial race.”

The Suroy-Suroy Sugbo is the initiative of the provincial government to promote local tourism among towns and municipalities across the province while the Sinanduloy is Garcia’s initiative to counter the problem of poverty by cooking rice mixed with root crops.

For now, Davide is going around the province to work on the candidacy of Liberal Party standard bearers Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas as president and vice president, respectively. – Rene U. Borromeo/JMO   (FREEMAN NEWS)