Eddiegul, Alayon members, set to take oath, join Kampi

First District Rep. Eduardo Gullas and the members of his Alayon Party, mostly incumbent officials, are set to take their oaths as members of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) Party on March 5 in Manila.

Kampi president Luis Villafuerte announced this last Wednesday after the oathtaking in Taguig City, Metro Manila of about 50 members of One Cebu Party, led by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, as Kampi members.

Gullas confirmed Villafuerte's statement saying, "I am accepting now, together with the Alayon party members of the First District, the invitation to join Kampi."

Gullas said Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, while still a congressman two years ago, had already invited him to join Kampi, and this time, he and his Alayon Party would join the Kampi of President Gloria Arroyo.

Mrs. Arroyo, in her last week's visit to Cebu, told local officials here that she would not allow a member of the Lakas Party coalition to challenge Gullas' re-election run, and this left the latter without any clear contender to face with in the May 14 polls.

A former vice governor, John-John Osmeña, was earlier reported to run, under the Lakas Party, against Gullas for the First District congressional seat.

Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio however clarified that John-John could not run under Lakas because his father, Sonny Osmeña, is among the senatorial bets of the Genuine Opposition.

Gullas explained that, following the rules of the majority coalition and the equity of the incumbent, Lakas must not field a candidate to fight against somebody, who a party of the coalition had already endorsed earlier.

One Cebu Party has no congressional candidate yet for the First District, pending the official membership of Gullas to Kampi.

Gullas has already thrown his support to the reelection of Governor Garcia and this signaled the possibility that One Cebu Party might field him as its bet for the district. - Gregg M. Rubio/RAE