CEBU, Philippines - Provincial Board Member Thadeo “Teddy” Ouano has formally informed Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia that he is leaving One Cebu Party to join the Liberal Party.
Ouano met with Garcia two days after his transfer to LP was announced during the birthday party of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.
But Ouano assured the governor that his whole family will be supporting Garcia’s bid for senator in 2013.
Ouano reiterated that the reason he decided to join LP is to unite their family, which is the wish of his father, former mayor Alfredo Ouano.
Ouano’s daughter, Mandaue City Councilor Emmarie “Lollipop” Ouano, already joined LP early this year.
Capitol spokesperson lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda admitted that Ouano is a big loss to One Cebu.
But Sepulveda said Ouano will only be a big loss if they just “cry and go side by side” without doing anything.
“We are still confident that we can mount, we can come up with a credible organization within Mandaue City and the sixth district,” Sepulveda said.
Sepulveda brushed aside perceptions that One Cebu is now in difficult situation after some of its leaders joined LP.
“Di siguro, ang pikas maoy naglisud. Nganong manguha man sila sa among tawo?” he said.
With barely ten months to go before election, Sepulveda said they don’t want to focus politics as they still have a lot of governance to do.
“You can expect One Cebu to put up a good fight, to put up a fair fight,” he said.
Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, on the other hand, said she has yet to talk with Ouano.
She only learned about Ouano’s decision to join LP in the newspaper.
But Magpale commended Mayor Cortes’ efforts to unite the leaders of the city to achieve his goal of achieving more developments before his term expires.
“Kinahanglan kaayo ma-push through so he has to unite the leaders (of Mandaue City),” Magpale said. (FREEMAN)