6 city candidates back out of polls

CEBU, Philippines - Three days before the deadline to finalize the list candidates for the May 2010 elections, six people who filed their certificates of candidacy in Cebu City have withdrawn.

Among those who backed out was a mayoralty candidate, a bet for vice mayor and also for councilors.

They went to the Cebu City office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to officially withdraw their electoral bids.

Among them was Jonah John Rodriguez, the candidate for vice mayor of Kugi Uswag Sugbu (Kusug). 

Rodriguez, who was sentenced to three months imprisonment for sending lewd text messages to the wife of Mayor Tomas Osmeña explained that he withdrew his candidacy so he could take care of his mother.

This move is, however, no longer a surprise because it was already an open secret that Kusug will just substitute their candidates for mayor and vice mayor, who were fielded on the last minute.

The mayoralty bet who pulled out was Ricci Malou Ranili of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).

Those who have backed out cited personal reasons for doing so.

The other day, independent mayoral candidate Jacinto Iran, who offered P500 bills to the personnel of Comelec and even to the media when he filed his COC, was first to back out from the political race for health reasons.

Kusug’s mayoralty candidate Landelino Bontilao, a barangay councilman of Pit-os, who filed his COC last December 1 together with Rodriguez, is also expected to withdraw his candidacy on Monday.

The law allows the political parties until on December 14 to substitute their candidates who withdraw their candidacies.

Those who backed out as candidates for councilor in the city’s South District were Elena Cabrilles (LDP), Anastacio Masong (Kusug), and Erlinda Sayson (Lakas-CMD-Kampi).

Ryan Paray (Lakas-CMD-Kampi) also withdrew his candidacy for the North District.

The nominations of the LDP candidates in Cebu City were also endorsed by former Mayor Alvin Garcia, who heads Kusug.

Political pundits earlier speculated that once Bontilao will withdraw his COC, the Kusug party will substitute him with Government Service Insurance Corporation (GSIS) president Winston Garcia, brother of Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia.

But a reliable source within the opposition camp told The Freeman last night that the GSIS president has decided not to run for the top elective position in Cebu City.

As of last night, the opposition leaders in Cebu City were still discussing on who will be their final candidate for mayor and vice mayor to challenge the bid of Vice Mayor Michael Rama and vice mayoral aspirant Joy Augustus Young, the standard bearers of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK).

The recent development also amused Mayor Osmeña, because he observed that the opposition camp has already ran out of good candidates that is why they just allow some losers in the past elections to fill up their slate.

A total of 13 people beat the December 1 deadline and filed their COC for mayor including the mayor’s sister Georgia and estranged cousin former Senator John Henry ‘Sonny’ Osmeña.

There were eight, who filed their COC for vice mayor.

Although there are six hopefuls for congressman of the South District, political observers say that the fight is still between Osmeña and businessman Jonathan Guardo, who used to be the mayor’s sports consultant.

In the North District, there are eight aspirants for congressman, but the leading candidates are BOPK’s Rachel “Cutie” del Mar, the daughter of Congressman Raul del Mar, and Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos.

There are more than 60 candidates for councilors that would vie for 16 slots – eight in the North and another 8 in the South. –/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)