3 top Cebu pols back GMA decision; Lito O stays neutral

CEBU CITY — Three top Cebuano political leaders have expressed support while one chose to remain neutral on President Arroyo’s decision to join the 2004 presidential race.

Gov. Pablo Garcia, a Lakas-CMD party stalwart in the province, welcomed Mrs. Arroyo’s decision, saying he had been hoping all along that she would change her previous statement not to seek for an elective post in the coming polls.

In these times of economic crisis and political uncertainties, Garcia said Mrs. Arroyo remains to be the most qualified to run the government, as proven in her handling of the failed July 27 mutiny.

Garcia said only two of the eight Cebu congressmen would remain with the bloc against Mrs. Arroyo.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña also threw his support behind Mrs. Arroyo despite his earlier commitment to back presidential contender Raul Roco who had been offering him (Osmeña) the vice presidential slot.

"He’s giving me a headache," Osmeña recently said of Roco after declining the offer.

"I cannot refuse the President because he has done a lot for Cebu City," he said.

Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano, the Lakas-CMD’s sixth district chairman, said 100 percent of Mandauehanons and majority of the mayors in the district would be backing Mrs. Arroyo in the 2004 polls.

Meanwhile, Emilio "Lito" Osmeña, chairman of Promdi (Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative), said he was not surprised with Mrs. Arroyo’s decision since he was already advised about it two days before her announcement in Clark Field, Pampanga.

But Osmeña would not commit any support for her even if her programs of government are in line with Promdi’s and Roco’s.

Wanting to keep intact the People’s Power Coalition, in which both Mrs. Arroyo and Roco are members, Osmeña said he would not take sides yet at this point.

Some of Mrs. Arroyo’s allies have been asking Roco to give way but Osmeña admitted that Roco would not do so since he has been leading in the surveys of presidentiables.

Osmeña said he is not endorsing any candidate for president and would rather give a free hand to all Promdi leaders to choose who among the wannabes they would support.

"It would be a free zone for national candidates," he said.

Osmeña has pitched in support for the Cebu gubernatorial tandem of Celestino Martinez Jr. and Gregorio Sanchez.

He has given a cold shoulder to his nephew, Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeña, for rallying behind Gov. Pablo Garcia and supporting the controversial megadome project. — Freeman News Service