Gwen picks partner; won’t say who yet

CEBU, Philippines — Has Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia chosen a running mate for her bid for re-election as Cebu governor?

Garcia told reporters yesterday she has but will not divulge who the person is just yet.

"Kung babaye man gani akong running mate, gwapa gyud na sigurado," was all she hinted to reporters yesterday.

Teased that she could be running with her close friend, businesswoman-philanthropist Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung, Garcia simply laughed together with Yeung who was seated by her during the interview.

Yeung is the younger sister of Cebu Fourth District Representative Benhur Salimbangon who is now on his last term at the House of Representatives.

Even Benhur’s name was floated as Garcia's possible running mate in next year’s local elections.

Yesterday, Garcia reiterated she is “seriously considering running for governor again.”

"Naa ta sa taliwa ang pagdagan balik og pagka gobernador," she said.

She first expressed interest in returning to the Capitol after the Ombudsman’s ruling in February dismissing her from service over the controversial purchase of the 24.92-hectare Balili property in Naga City in June 2008 when she was still governor.

The property is worth P98,926,800.

Garcia said she will avail of all legal remedies, including the Aguinaldo or condonation doctrine.

The Ombudsman ruling, she said, convinced her that Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III is afraid of her to run again as governor.

"Now that the Ombudsman has come up with this very shocking ruling really intending to take me out of the race, I am really having serious thoughts [about] running as governor," Garcia said in an interview with GMA’s Super Radyo dzBB last month.

Yesterday, she said:

"Gusto gud nila nga dili na ko makadagan. Because of that, mura mosugod na ko og too sa kadaghanan nga hadlok na si Davide nako," Garcia said.

She pointed out that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales was associate justice when Davide's father, Hilario Davide Jr., Supreme Court Chief Justice.

She said that if she wins the governorship, she will bring the “old glory of Cebu” back. During her term, Cebu was number one in the National Competitiveness Council Index.

In 2014, however, Cebu slid to number 3 and slid even further down to number 35 in 2015 and to number 45 in 2016.

"Why is Cebu listed in the lower half of the list? Surely, there must be something wrong," Garcia said. —JMO (FREEMAN)