by RIO ROSE RIBAYA (Manila Bulletin)
http://mb.com.ph/articles/246375/erap-party-optimistic-winning-cebu LILOAN, CEBU – Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada and the entire slate of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) just might pull a surprise victory in Cebu, the province that gave President Arroyo the most votes in the 2004 presidential elections.
While Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has yet to impose on her mayors to vote for Lakas-Kampi CMD bet Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, PMP campaign manager and former Senate President Ernesto Maceda said that “special arrangements” in terms of relationships could make the people of Cebu vote for Estrada this time.
“Now here in Cebu, there are what you can call certain special arrangements. For example, Gov. Gwen Garcia is for Gibo, but she has allowed her son-in-law Liloan Mayor Duke Flasco to come out for Erap that makes the situation very significant to other mayors,” Maceda said.
Flasco, who is married to Garcia's daughter Christina, hosted a lunch meeting with Liloan leaders to welcome Estrada, expressing their full support to his reelection bid and the candidacy of his entire senatorial slate at Amara Clubhouse last Thursday.
In a separate interview, Frasco told reporters that the show of support is an expression of gratitude for the P23-million financial help Estrada, through reelectionist Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, extended to build the Liloan Public Market here last year.
“If hosting this lunch and being with him is one way, we'll do that because he's also our ninong in our wedding and he's very warm, and genuine and very nice person,” Frasco said.
Admitting that he cannot guarantee victory for Estrada and his camp in his town, Frasco expressed confidence that informing Cebuanos about Estrada's contribution will play a huge factor that could generate votes for PMP in the May 10 polls.
“I can't really decide on what the people will do but I'm sure if the people will know and realize that President Erap, through Senate President Enrile, was able to give Liloans P23 million in terms of financial assistance, maybe perhaps that will help them make the decision for this coming election," he said.
Frasco, who founded local political party Democracy for the Independent Liberal Conservative (DILC), which is affiliated with the administration-affiliated One Cebu party and the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, can convince as much as 51,000 residents in Liloan to vote for Estrada.
Local officials like Compostela town Mayor Richie Wagas and Bugo mayoral candidate Mariquita Salumbangon-Yeung were just a few leaders, who openly endorsed Estrada and promised to campaign for the former president as soon as the local campaign period starts on March 26.
Estrada and his entourage had visited seven towns in Cebu. “As you can see, every time he arrives, the connection to the voters is there. Besides that, we have 20 parallel organizations on the ground. Some of these parallel organizations are even competing for leaderships for getting voters from barangay or neighborhood levels,” he explained
While Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has yet to impose on her mayors to vote for Lakas-Kampi CMD bet Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, PMP campaign manager and former Senate President Ernesto Maceda said that “special arrangements” in terms of relationships could make the people of Cebu vote for Estrada this time.
“Now here in Cebu, there are what you can call certain special arrangements. For example, Gov. Gwen Garcia is for Gibo, but she has allowed her son-in-law Liloan Mayor Duke Flasco to come out for Erap that makes the situation very significant to other mayors,” Maceda said.
Flasco, who is married to Garcia's daughter Christina, hosted a lunch meeting with Liloan leaders to welcome Estrada, expressing their full support to his reelection bid and the candidacy of his entire senatorial slate at Amara Clubhouse last Thursday.
In a separate interview, Frasco told reporters that the show of support is an expression of gratitude for the P23-million financial help Estrada, through reelectionist Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, extended to build the Liloan Public Market here last year.
“If hosting this lunch and being with him is one way, we'll do that because he's also our ninong in our wedding and he's very warm, and genuine and very nice person,” Frasco said.
Admitting that he cannot guarantee victory for Estrada and his camp in his town, Frasco expressed confidence that informing Cebuanos about Estrada's contribution will play a huge factor that could generate votes for PMP in the May 10 polls.
“I can't really decide on what the people will do but I'm sure if the people will know and realize that President Erap, through Senate President Enrile, was able to give Liloans P23 million in terms of financial assistance, maybe perhaps that will help them make the decision for this coming election," he said.
Frasco, who founded local political party Democracy for the Independent Liberal Conservative (DILC), which is affiliated with the administration-affiliated One Cebu party and the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, can convince as much as 51,000 residents in Liloan to vote for Estrada.
Local officials like Compostela town Mayor Richie Wagas and Bugo mayoral candidate Mariquita Salumbangon-Yeung were just a few leaders, who openly endorsed Estrada and promised to campaign for the former president as soon as the local campaign period starts on March 26.
Estrada and his entourage had visited seven towns in Cebu. “As you can see, every time he arrives, the connection to the voters is there. Besides that, we have 20 parallel organizations on the ground. Some of these parallel organizations are even competing for leaderships for getting voters from barangay or neighborhood levels,” he explained
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