Palace endorsement of Dy for Isabela governor affirmed

ILAGAN, Isabela – The administration’s Team Unity affirmed its endorsement of former governor Faustino Dy Jr. as its common candidate for governor here.

Former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III, chairman of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) for Cagayan Valley, confirmed the other day the decision of the administration coalition to support Dy’s gubernatorial bid.

Bello’s pronouncement came in the wake of reports of the continued failure of the administration’s Team Unity to choose a common candidate against re-electionist Gov. Grace Padaca of the Liberal Party-Drilon Wing.

Earlier, it was reported that the administration’s arbitration committee was still deliberating as to who between Dy and Team Unity deputy spokesman Tonypet Albano would be its gubernatorial bet.

But a source also said that the matter had been resolved when Albano was designated as deputy spokesman for the administration’s Team Unity ticket.

Dy, himself, also confirmed his endorsement, adding that his runningmate for vice governor would be former three-term Ilagan town mayor Mercedes Uy.

Dy, president of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said that one of the four congressional districts was declared a ‘free zone’ with its incumbent Rep. Edwin Uy, Lakas-CMD chairman here, and Roxas town mayor Benedict Calderon (NPC) up for a showdown for the district seat.

Re-electionist congressmen Anthony Miranda (Kampi), Rodito Albano (Kampi) and Dy’s younger brother, Faustino Dy III are the Team Unity congressional bets for the province’s fourth, first and third congressional districts, respectively.

Despite the Palace endorsement of Dy, the Lakas-CMD here led by Rep. Uy would still be supporting Padaca’s re-election bid.

However, Dy, who has the backing of at least 25 of the 35 mayors here, said he would not mind losing the support of the Lakas-CMD here.

"At least they have shown their color rather than stabbing me on the back," said Dy, who is out to avenge a stunning loss to Padaca in the May 2004 polls.

A former broadcast journalist, Padaca, who walks with crutches, trounced Dy in the 2004 elections, the first time the Dys lost the governorship of this country’s third biggest province, which they had held for almost four decades.

However, Dy, eldest scion of the late Faustino Dy Sr., this province’s longest-serving governor, expressed confidence he would beat Padaca this time, with the Isabelinos "already tired of her propaganda and her more talk less action style of governance."