Bakud to announce slate today

 CEBU, Philippines - The Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (Bakud) party is set to proclaim today their candidates for the 2013 elections in the fifth district of the Province of Cebu.

The proclamation will be held this morning at the Grand Convention Center led by Bakud Party chairman, fifth district Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI.

Liberal Party president, Secretary Mar Roxas III of the Department of Interior and Local Government, is expected to grace the affair.

Bakud Party has forged an alliance with LP last July and endorsed the tandem of Hilario Davide III and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale for governor and vice governor, respectively.

Davide, Magpale and Provincial Board Members Jude Thaddeus Sybico and Miguel Antonio Magpale, former Tourism secretary Felix Joseph “Ace” Durano, incumbent officials in the fifth district, new candidates and barangay officials are also attending the said activity.

Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III already declared that he is running against his estranged brother, Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr.

Nito’s runningmate is his son, Red, while Ace will run for Congress where he used to serve before his appointment into the Cabinet of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Red will run against his uncle, former Danao City mayor Jesus “Don” Durano, the runningmate of Boy of One Cebu Party.

Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III told reporters that seven councilors are seeking re-election while three new names are added to complete the councilorial slate.

Durano said they decided not to appoint anybody to replace Councilor Miguel Antonio Magpale, who is now a member of the provincial board representing the fifth district.

Aside from the short time before next year’s elections, Vice Mayor Durano admitted that they need the signature of Governor Gwen Garcia.

Durano said they will officially declare today the seven councilors seeking re-election which include Councilors Carmen Remedios Meca, Cynthia Duterte, Jorge John Cane, Jose Thaddeus Roble, Alejandro Lawas, Jovelina Enriquez and Roland Reyes.

The new names completing the slate are Gerard Almendras, former city councilor Rodrigo Giango and Celso Meca, Jr.

Meca is the brother of the late city councilor Jesus Meca.

The late councilor was replaced by his wife, Tita Meca, who decided not to run in next year’s elections because of health problems.

The complete councilorial slate of Mayor Boy Durano has not been revealed yet.

Mayor Boy and Liloan Mayor Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco are the only incumbent mayors left with One Cebu while the rest of the town mayors in the fifth district are with the Bakud-LP coalition.

Meanwhile, One Cebu has yet to schedule a party convention to announce their slates while the filing of the certificates of candidacy will being on Monday, October 1 until 5.

One Cebu Party chairman, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, said that they can file their COCs without a party convention.

She assured that the party is moving and that the convention is just really more on show and pageantry.

“What is important is the real groundwork and we are doing that,” Garcia said.

Today, a mass oath taking of candidates and leaders of One Cebu Party will also be held in Dumanjug and Pinamungajan.  (FREEMAN)