http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100303hed3.html
Even as he vowed to work solidly for and support fully the candidacy of Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet, Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Malabon Mayor Tito Oreta admitted that the administration bet will have a tough time winning over to his side the more than 300,000 voters of the city as former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada still commands the support of the majority of the city dwellers.
In an interview during Teodoro’s Malabon sortie Tuesday, City Mayor Tito Oreta admitted the vaunted Erap mass support is still very much alive in the northern part of the metropolis and that at this point, all he can pledge solidly for Gibo is the support of all the officials and employees of the city hall.
“We are in full support of Gibo,” Oreta claimed, “but Erap is really still very strong here in Malabon, which is why I can only promise Gibo support from the officials and employees of city hall,” Oreta said.
But the Malabon mayor expressed optimism that Gibo can still win over to his side the support of city’s voters comprised mostly of informal settlers in Malabon is not as simple as it looks.
“There’s more to the picture than meets the eye. It is easy to relocate, but the problem is what will these informal settlers find in the relocated site? It is not just a matter of homes for them,”said Teodoro.
“So, what we need to do is to provide the informal settlers with a livelihood program and ensure that there will be something by way of livelihood they can look forward to in the relocation site. Otherwise, these squatters will just return to where they came from (Malabon). There will be stiff resistance on their part to relocate them,” Teodoro said.
The administration bet also proposed a “Balik-Probinsya Program” for the informal settlers.
Meanwhile, local political kingpins claim to be bullish on Teodoro winning in Malabon, belying the statement made earlier by Oreta as they vowed to work hard for his poll victory come May 10.
They pointed out that Gibo’s campaign is starting to peak and will get a “big push” at the onset of the campaign season for local posts when the formidable political machinery of Lakas-Kampi-CMD will come into play and its local leaders and candidates can work double-time in ensuring the victory of the ruling party’s standard-bearer.
Former Malabon-Navotas Rep. Ricky Sandoval said Gibo is easily the most qualified among the presidential candidates.
“Gibo is the most intelligent. As a colleague in Congress, I admire him for his objectivity as he always listens to reason. He is also a consensus builder which is a very good trait for a national leader,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval revealed that in a local survey done here last week, Gibo is now close on the heels of Villar. This development is a big departure, he said, from an earlier local survey where Noynoy placed first and Gibo only got a handful of votes.
“He has a good chance here in Malabon. I belong to Lakas, the Mayor is also from Lakas and so are the majority of the councilors,” Sandoval said.
Oreta said Gibo has the backing of at least six to eight Malabon councilors who promised to work very hard for Gibo on the onset of the official period for local campaigning.
“We will give it our best,” he said.
Sandoval reiterated that at the start of local campaigning, support for Gibo would swell some more.
“Of course as the local leaders start moving and endorsing openly there will be a big push,” Sandoval claimed.
Former Press Secretary Mike Toledo, who is Gibo’s spokesman and director of the G1BO 2010 Media Bureau, pointed to the two “secret weapons” that will spell a Gibo victory in the May 10 balloting.
These are, he said, the surging support of young Filipinos, who comprise a majority of this year’s voters and the formidable machinery of the ruling party, “the awesome force of which will be felt as soon as the official local campaign season kicks in and all Lakas-KMP-CMD local executives and candidates can start working hard on ensuring Gibo’s victory.” Charlie V. Manalo
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