Fight for sixth district seat has 3 contenders

The fight for Cebu sixth district congressional seat has gradually assumed to be a three-cornered one, based on present political developments.

The expected protagonists: Reelectionist Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, Provincial Board member Gabriel Luis "Luigi" Quisumbing, and former governor and congressman, Vicente "Tingting" dela Serna.

Quisumbing last night said he would formally announce this morning, during the weekly Kapihan ni Ate Glo over radio DyLA, his candidacy for a congressional seat of the sixth district.

Elberto Emphasis, host of the radio program, is the spokesperson of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats Party for the Visayas and has been with the Quisumbing family-owned Norkis Group of Companies.

Quisumbing said he would be running under the Lakas-CMD, of which Speaker Jose de Venecia, the party president, appointed him as the district chairman.

Also this morning, a former congressman and governor, Vicente "Tingting" dela Serna, is set to announce his intention to run and regain the district's congressional seat in 1989 until he became governor in 1992. It was uncertain yet what party Tingting would belong.

Dela Serna, according to his staff, would announce his candidacy during the Arangkada program of DyAB host Leo Lastimosa, a columnist of The FREEMAN and Banat newspapers.

Dela Serna, known as a human rights lawyer that served as deputy executive secretary of deposed president, Joseph Estrada, lost in his reelection bid for governor to Pablo Garcia during the 1995 election.

Ahead of Dela Cerna and Quisumbing, incumbent Rep. Ruiz had announced that she was appointed as Visayas regional chairperson of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, or Kampi, and she would seek reelection under this party.

Ruiz was initially reported to run for mayor of Mandaue City, with the perceived backing of her friend, the Quisumbing family, against a candidate of the Ouano family.

With this set-up, Norkis patriarch Norberto Quisumbing Jr. informed Ruiz that Luigi would run for the district's congressional seat and, at the time, she did not oppose the plan for Luigi to focus for the mayoralty seat of Mandaue.

Instead of running for Mandaue mayor, Ruiz however announced later that she would go for reelection and support instead the mayoralty candidacy of Jovito Thadeo "Jonkie" Ouano, the son of incumbent Mayor Thadeo Ouano.

Emphasis warned Ruiz that he would reveal the reasons behind her sudden switch of support for the Ouanos but the incumbent congresswoman seemed unfazed.

Ruiz, after serving as representative of the district for two terms, 1992-1995 and 1995-1998, ran for Mandaue mayor in 1998 but lost to incumbent Alfredo "Pedong" Ouano. She regained her congressional seat in the 2001 election and reelected for a second term in 2004. - Gregg M. Rubio/RAE