ALTHOUGH still lagging in the surveys with only a week to go before the May 10 polls, administration presidential candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro is still hoping he will be able to snatch the highest post in the government, citing his edge over other presidential candidates like his “clear” agenda of governance.
“They want genuine change. How can you have a genuine change when you do not have a road map or a platform? How can you have genuine change if you sow the seeds of division now? How can you reconcile when right now you are attacking people? After you prosper you expect the person to make up with you just because you say so. I don't think so. We must start now on the road to genuine change and reform,” Teodoro said, taking potshots at his rivals.
Teodoro plans to improve the quality of education, build infrastructures and give free medicines particularly to the poorest of the poor.
“We deserve good international standing because we are good Filipinos, not because we are mendicants to the rest of the world. We deserve food security. We need to capacitate our local governments to give basic services to our people. We need a sustainable and principled peace based on the rule of law in each and every part of the country,” he said.
On Saturday, around 168 congressmen and 57 governors of Lakas-Kampi CMD around the country announced their “pledge of commitment” and affirmed their “utmost and unwavering” support to Teodoro. The manifestation, known as the Cebu Declaration, was welcomed by Teodoro.
“The Cebu Declaration is not just to support the candidacy of Gibo but a working government for the future of this country from June 30, 2010. This is not a simple show of support for Gibo but this is a road map for development for our country at the soonest possible time,” Teodoro told his allies.
He said his allies' signature is a commitment to a future agenda “for people who have been waiting for too long and cannot wait anymore to make the country a proud one, to make their country a strong one.”
“Perhaps I am going to be elected for, if not to make this country better. It is not for our personal agenda. Almost all of us have already achieved and will achieve more in the future but we can't do that if our country is divided and naggered,” he said.
But former Cebu governor Emilio Lito Osmeña thinks it will be Liberal Party bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino who will win the elections.
An avid supporter of Aquino, Osmeña said he would rather that Aquino and LP leaders focus on implementing their reform agenda instead of going after their perceived enemies.
Osmeña was reacting reports that the Liberal Party has included Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) general manager Winston Garcia in its hitlist, prompting the latter to work with Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar.
Osmeña said he spoke to Winston a few months ago and “yes he told me that months ago because he is in the hitlist of the Liberal Party”. “(But)I dont know if there is such a list,” he said.
Thus, Osmeña, who had the Garcias support when he ran for vice president, said Winston wanted to make sure that Aquino would not win.
“Winston did tell me that kanang mga Liberal, dili na man lang unta ko mo lihok, ila ko gibutang sa hitlist,” the former governor told Cebu Daily News.
However, Osmeña said this should not be the case.
“I think the Liberal Party should focus on moving forward.... Let’s not waste our time looking for skeletons in the closet,” he said.
Such a job should be left to “a department that should be dedicated to that.”
Osmeña said Aquino should now start to think of what to do when he takes his oath of office.
“That is where most of my time is occupied. What necessary legislation he may need in order to hasten what I feel the direction of this country should be,” he said.
Osmeña said he wanted Aquino to pursue an earlier plan to adopt an open sky policy to encourage more investments into the country.
“You know what that will mean for Cebu? Boom time for Cebu,” he said.
Osmeña said that since Cebu and the rest of the country lack manpower and space, “we cannot be an industrial nation.”
The government, he said, should instead focus on making the country a services country.
As this developed, Stars will fill Cebu today as the Liberal Party kicks off its final campaign sorties.
Kris Aquino will lead the pack of stars promoting the candidacy of LP candidates.
Among the stars along with Kris are Boy Abunda, Jed Madela, Eric Santos and some comedians who will entertain supporters as they visit the northern part of Cebu.
The group will hold a press briefing today at the Mactan Cebu International Airport at around 9:00 a.m.
They will then fly to Madridejos in Bantayan Island at around 9:45 am where they will have a motorcade from Madridejos to Sta Fe.
From there, the group will proceed to Bogo City and Danao City to meet supporters in a motorcade.
At 4:30pm, a motorcade will be held in Lapu-lapu City before the group flies back to Manila. /REPORTERS ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL, DORIS C. BONGCAC AND CORRESPONDENT EDISON DELOS ANGELES
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