Kusug fields "placeholders" for top posts

CEBU, Philippines - The opposition Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusug) surprised critics and Cebu City residents when it fielded a certain Landolino Bontilao as its candidate for mayor and Jonah John Rodriguez as his runningmate.

Although Rodriguez is already well-known to the public after he was convicted by the court for sending malicious, lewd and threatening text messages to Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s wife Margot in 2001, Bontilao is unknown to most of the people.

But Raymond Garcia, son of former mayor Alvin Garcia, said both Bontilao and Rodriguez may just withdraw their candidacy not later than December 14 and the Kusug party will substitute them with strong candidates. Such a move is allowed by law.

“We want to give the voters a little suspense on who will be our strong candidates for mayor and vice mayor,” said the younger Garcia, who already filed his certificate of candidacy for councilor of the north district last night.

But Mayor Osmeña, who is running for congressman of the city’s south district, said: “They are making fun of people using a sex pervert as a candidate. I thought using recycled losers is insulting enough to the Cebuanos, but this is too much. What did the Cebuanos do to be the subject of this mockery of election process?”

As of 7 p.m. last night Cebu City 10 candidates are vying for the mayoralty post while five others are running for vice mayor.

The nine other mayoralty aspirants are Vice Mayor Michael Rama, John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña, Georgia Osmeña, Salvador Solima, Crisologo Saavedra, Cristituto Abangan, Rudy Laconza, Anastacio dela Cruz and Jacinto Iran.

Iran, a 79-year-old retired marine engineer from Pardo, said he is not a nuisance candidate because he has money to finance his candidacy and he even brought with him a bundle of P500 bills and offered money to reporters and employees of the Commission on Elections yesterday.

Those who are running for vice mayor are Joy Augustus Young of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan, Emmanuel Pacquiao, Rico Palcuto, Jovencio Talite and Rodriguez.

Election officer Marchel Sarno identified those who filed their CoC’s for congressman of the city’s north district as BOPK’s Rachel “Cutie” del Mar, Kusug’s Mary Ann delos Santos, former NBI director Florencio Villarin, Juan Arenasa, former rebel soldier Francisco Ashley Acedillo, Rico Osmeña and Miguel Selim.

As of 7 p.m. last night, only Mayor Osmeña and businessman Jonathan Guardo had filed their CoC’s for the city’s south district congressional post. Guardo filed his CoC at 10 a.m. yesterday ahead of his councilorial slate.

The Kusug’s slate for the south district are composed of Jose Navarro, Danilo Lim, Ann Vestil, Ben Baculi, Deo del Rosario, Danny Teves, Milagros Camacho and Anastacio Masong. Raymond Garcia, Joel Garganera, Jerry Guardo, Lemar Alcover, Paul Melendez, Fritz Quiñanola, Danilo Fernan and Patrick Talisaysay are running for the north.

There were several other candidates who filed their CoC’s for councilors like mediaman Ely Camomot, Bert Medina, Demetrio Englis, Daniel Go, Victoriano Go, Joy Caballes and Eugene Urbita who is running under the banner of the Philippine Green Republican Party.

But unlike the other independent candidates for councilors who only went to the Comelec to file their CoC’s alone, Ermita barangay captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta was accompanied by some 300 placard-bearing supporters when he went to the Comelec office yesterday afternoon. – Rene U. Borromeo/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)