AFTER announcing his plan to leave One Cebu, Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez said yesterday that running against reelectionist Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is not a remote possibility.

Although he is still scheduled to meet tomorrow with Gwendolyn’s brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district), Sanchez said he will announce his final decision on Nov. 6 or at a later date.

As vice chairman of One Cebu, he felt that he was not respected anymore because his request to shun the Suezos of Tuburan was not considered by the governor.

Sun.Star accepts donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy

“I think gisikaran naman ko nila. (I think they already kicked me out),” he told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.

Another official who felt he was booted out from another party is considering running for congressman.

PB Member Victor Maambong confirmed yesterday that he will seek the sixth district congressional in the 2010 elections even if he is “party-less.”

He admitted his disappointment when Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz announced a few months back that she would be supporting Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna’s bid for congressman.

“She already kicked me out so why force myself?” Maambong said.

Sanchez, for his part, said he is willing to run as an independent candidate if he can’t choose a party.

“There are already discussions” with other parties, he said, adding that he is weighing his political options for 2010.

Pablo John, when sought for comment, said by text, “It’s really up to him. The more, the merrier. People have been telling me he’s been planning that for over a year now. I didn’t believe them. But I guess, it was true, after all.”

Sanchez has opposed the entry of the Suezos to the One Cebu party because they supported the Sugbuak or the plan to split Cebu to several provinces. He has been saying too that he doesn’t like “their brand of politics.”

He also said the Suezos have failed to act on the case of a 12-year old girl who was raped allegedly by one of their supporters.

Sanchez said that whenever he is in Tuburan, the concerned residents go to him to check on the status of the case.

Sun.Star Cebu tried but failed to contact Tuburan Mayor Constancio Suezo for his response.

Sanchez said that having been born and raised in Tuburan, he took upon himself to take care of his town.

His mother’s kin, the Vellardes, are from Tuburan.

He said he already has a strong mayoralty candidate for the town but requested not to name the person yet since the leader has allegedly been harassed.

On the Nov. 4 meeting with Sanchez to iron out the issues within the party, Pablo John doubts it will still push through.

“I made that appointment in good faith. I also presumed good faith on his part. Right now, with his announcement, I doubt if I can still sit down and talk to someone who is plotting against my sister and the party she represents,” Garcia said.

Sanchez, for his part, said he will wait for the notice of the meeting to push through.

Maambong, when sought for reaction, said Sanchez is “battle-tested and experienced.”

“If you recall, he survived the elections when his partymates lost. He also has a deep and reliable network among nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and local entrepreneurs—true friends and not temporary political alliances,” Maambong said.

Just like the governor, Maambong added that Sanchez is visible in public.

“He is always seen by the people unlike some candidates whose posters are suddenly seen during the election registration (period) and during fiestas when election time is near. But have we closed the possibility of the Tuburan issue being resolved? Otherwise, if the other district leaders will join in, this will be a battle royale,” Maambong added.

Although, he is not privy to Sanchez’s preparations, PB Member Jose Ma. Gastardo believes the vice governor has prepared for this opportunity “since this is a presidential election and a candidate for president will always look for a local candidate to support a presidential campaign.”

Meanwhile, after nine years of being a member of the PB, Maambong said he would like to remain a legislator.

But since he is barred from seeking another term in the PB, Maambong hopes to represent the district in the House of Representatives.

But he said yesterday that he took Ruiz’s endorsement of Fortuna as an informal Lakas-Kampi nomination.

The PB member said that he would not mind being defeated in the party nomination as long as there is a process with a point-by-point discussion on the merits of each candidate.

Maambong though checked with the office of former president Fidel Ramos and learned that the Lakas-Kampi merger did not have the blessing of some of the leaders of Lakas.

Maambong said that Ramos’s office told him that it was not privy to the merger.

“Consider yourself released from the party,” was the message that Maambong got.

Although Maambong has been a member of the local Alayon party of Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) since 1992, he is also seen as an ally of the governor.

“I already have the blessing of some leaders in my district, some barangay captains and influential persons,” said Maambong.

He said he has talked to sixth district mayors—Mandaue City Jonas Cortes, Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob and Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy—but did not get commitments from any of them.

He served as Consolacion councilor for three terms from 1992 to 2001.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on November 3, 2009.