Teddy O mulls retirement

CEBU, Philippines - Former city mayor and now provincial board member Thadeo Ouano is contemplating retiring from politics amidst allegations that his family and another politician had conspired to discredit Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes.

PB Member Ouano, in an interview yesterday, said he is considering retiring from politics although he had expressed his intention to seek re-election for the same PB post in the next elections.

Ouano rejected allegations he had persuaded members of the Philcadan Homeowners Association to file a case against Mayor Cortes or asked the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas to conduct a lifestyle check on him. Ouano denied knowing any member of Philcadan. 

Ouano also said he has no link to the lawyer of the urban poor settlers who filed a case against Cortes even though he is an associate of lawyer Gloria Dalawampu who is his (Ouano’s) lawyer. 

The former mayor said it is not his custom to discredit Cortes.

Who has heard him criticize the incumbent mayor? Ouano said.

“No one has heard me criticize Cortes,” Ouano said. 

In an earlier interview, Ouano said he would no longer run as mayor of Mandaue since he has already proven his worth as mayor during his nine-year stint.

He said he wants to see younger and well educated people with new ideas run the city. 

Ouano said he takes pride in the fact that Mandaue became known to the world during his stint as mayor.

“Niadto intawon ingon lang ang Mandaue nga sakop sa Manila o kondili ma-associate siya sa Cebu City or sa province. Karon kaluoy sa Diyos na-corrected na, and now I can proudly say that I am a Mandauehanon. Makasulti man dyud ko nga banga ko’s politika because I am always for development,” Ouano said.

He said running for re-election for the same post now is not necessary. 

City Councilor Ouano-Dizon, in separate interview, said that her family cannot orchestrate any black propaganda against the mayor because she is very supportive of his administration.

She said it is too early to talk about politics but, for the record, she never had plans to run for the mayoralty or vice mayoral position in the 2013 elections. 

Ouano-Dizon ran under the ticket of mayoral candidate Nerissa Soon-Ruiz who lost in the last election. Ouano-Dizon but won a seat as councilor, and later on joined the Cortes administration.  

She said she plans to run again for councilor.

“Mao ra man dyud na akong panghinaut nga maayo unta nga dad-on ko sa partido ni Mayor,” she said.

She said her being visible in the barangays is an inherited characteristic from grandfather former mayor Alfredo Ouano who was well-loved.

“Busa nagtuo silang modagan ko pagka-mayor or bise mayor gumikan sa akong pagka-approachable ug visible sa barangay apan nakuha lang dyud ni nako nga trait ni Tatay Pedong,” Ouano-Dizon said. - THE FREEMAN