Arroyo to anoint Cebu City mayor as Kampi candidate

CEBU CITY — President Arroyo is expected to come here next month to officially proclaim Mayor Alvin Garcia as the official mayoralty candidate of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino or Kampi.

Norberto Homecillo, regional chairman of the Council of Philippine Affairs, said COPA secretary-general Pastor "Boy" Saycon confirmed that Mrs. Arroyo is supporting Garcia and his party Kugi Uswag Sugbo or Kusug, and not the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan of Tomas Osmeña.

Osmeña’s BO-PK earlier claimed they have the President’s support because the party is affiliated with Promdi, a member of the People Power Coalition (PPC).

Homecillo, however, said the President’s choice in Cebu is Kusug and that Saycon even arranged a long-distance phone call between Mrs. Arroyo and Garcia last Saturday afternoon to talk about details of Kusug’s miting de avance.

Last week, Kampi head Jose "Peping" Cojuangco announced the party is supporting Garcia instead of Osmeña because of the former’s role in supporting the struggle to oust former President Joseph Estrada.

Garcia, however, said the President just greeted him "Happy Easter" during their phone conversation last Saturday and requested him to include Juan Flavier and Ernesto Herrera in the list of senatorial candidates whom Kusug is supporting.

"I was pleasantly surprised. But it was more of a holiday greeting and a request to include Flavier and Herrera in my list of seven senators, and make them nine instead," he said.

The mayor said Kusug’s miting de avance will be held either on May 10 or 11 at the Cebu City Sports Complex.

Aside from Garcia, Kampi and COPA are also supporting seven PPC senatorial candidates in the coming polls.

Homecillo said Kampi is now in the process of bringing PPC candidates Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, Winnie Monsod, Roberto Pagdanganan, Wigberto Tañada, Sergio Osmeña III, Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Manuel Villar to their campaign sorties.

He said the seven candidates did a great job during People Power II and consistently supported the struggle to oust Estrada. — Freeman News Service