Atty. Rene G. Espina and his road to Governorship of Cebu (Part II)

On September 9, 1963, in preparation for the general elections (November 12, 1963), President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party was campaigning for his local candidates for Cebu.

President Macapagal in the early morning was already in Samboan, where he spent the night in the residence of Mayor Florencio Rusiana. It was on the evening of September 9 that Macapagal proclaimed Attorney Rene Espina (33 years old at that time), the youngest ever to be appointed as Administrator of the Social Security System as the Liberal Party's candidate for Governor of Cebu. The Cebu City rally was held at the Freedom Park.

On the morning before the rally President Macapagal together with his wife, witnessed the formal turnover ceremonies of the Cebu Portland Cement Plant to the Apo Cement Corporation.

Attorney Rene G. Espina won over the incumbent governor, veteran lawyer and the Nacionalista's candiadate Francisco E.F. Remotigue more known as "Kikoy" with over 73,000 votes. Governor Remotigue before becoming governor also served as Provincial Board Member from 1935 to 1939 (in 1967, Remotigue became the Nacionalista Party's candidate for Cebu City mayor).

The officials of Governor Espina in his first term: Vice Governor Priscillano Almendras, Board Members: Nazario Pacquiao, Salutario Fernandez and Isidro Escario. Provincial Treasurer was Atty. Panfilo Dunque, Asst. Provincial Treasurer was Atty. Dominador Durano, Provincial Auditor was Atty. Sulpicio Paredes, Provincial Fiscal was Atty. Pio Ferrandos and the Assistants were: Atty. Tomas Evangelista, Atty. Medardo Conde, Atty. Samuel Carin and Atty. Bienvenido Belarmino.

The Provincial Board Secretary was Atty. Jose C. Paulin and the Assistant was Atty. Felisberto Sosmena (of Camotes, Cebu and became a lawyer on May 31, 1946).

On July 26, 1964 President Macapagal visited Cebu who was seeking for reelection in November 9, 1965. President Macapagal slept at the residence of Governor Rene G. Espina in Guadalupe, Cebu City. The president heard mass at 7:00 a.m. at the nearby Virgin of Guadalupe Church.

The president and Governor Espina motored to Danao City to inaugurate the P125,000 sub-port there. The other members of the entourage were Representatives Manuel Zosa, Tereso Dumon and Ramon Durano. Arriving at Danao City shortly past ten in the morning, the President was welcomed by Mayor Beatriz Durano (wife of Congressman Ramon "Manoy Amon" Durano), who presented the former with a laminated resolution unanimously approved by the city board adopting him a son of Danao City "as a fitting expression of gratitude for his deep concern for the welfare of the common people."

In the presidential election of the following year, the political alliances was broken as Macapagal chose to support Serging Osmeña as a result of the quest of Governor Rene Espina, Atty. Pablo P. Garcia and Representative Manuel Zosa to take back the donated lots of the Province of Cebu to Cebu City. Before election came, Espina and Garcia were able to stop the sale of the donated lots. Governor Espina, Congressman Ramon Durano and their allies shifted to Nacionalista and supported the candidacy of then Senate President, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos.

In 1967, Governor Rene Espina of the Nacionalista (his opponent Priscillano Almendras, who was an incumbent Vice Governor and supported by Serging Osmeña) was reelected. Espina in 1969 resigned to run for the Senate and thereafter crafted the first anti-drug law of the country, Republic Act 6425 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972. The law crafted by Senator Espina is the precursor and template of the present law on drugs the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.