|
BAUNGON, Bukidnon: Former Commission on Elections
commissioner Virgilio Garcillano may already have an edge over his
two other political rivals seeking congressional post for
Bukidnon’s First District as his town mates claim they are
confident Garci will win in the May 14 polls.
Garci’s poll campaign materials
are seen everywhere in his hometown Baungon, where there are about
15,567 registered voters with 15 barangays.
Garci’s camp here said they are
the first one who posted posters in all barangays as some local
residents were even the ones voluntarily asking campaign materials
to be posted in their respective homes.
Garcillano’s wife, Grace, who
is former division chief at the LTO office in Cagayan de Oro City
(now retired) told the PNA her husband used his famous nickname
“Garci” in filing his certificate of candidacy.
“Voters in eight towns of Bukidnon’s
first congressional district may officially use “Garci” in their
ballots as this was already registered with the Comelec,” Grace
Garcillano said in an interview at the Garcillano home here.
Ma’am Grace, as she is fondly
called here who at first was hesitant to be interviewed, blamed the
media and the opposition for making a big issue out of the now
famous “Garci Tape.”
“The opposition is claiming it
is unethical for President Arroyo to call my husband, why are they
not calling other commissioners and even my husband in last May 2004
elections? Aren’t they hypocrites?” the 65-year-old Mrs. Grace
Garcillano said.
The former Comelec commissioner
who is running as an independent candidate has two opponents vying
for the congressional seat of Bukidnon’s first district. They are
Malou Acosta, sister and running mate of opposition Rep. Nereus
Acosta, who is running for governor, and Ruben Pancrudo of Lakas-CMD
under reelectionist Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri of Bukidnon.
Bukidnon’s first congressional
district consist of eight towns—the municipalities of Baungon,
Garci’s hometown; Talakag; Malitbog; Libona; Manolo Fortich;
Sumilao; Pangantukan; and Kalilangan.
It has about a total of 161,500
registered voters, bigger than the registered voters of Butuan City
and Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte combined which comprised the first
congressional district of Agusan del Norte and has only more than
156,000 registered voters.
According to Baungon Vice-Mayor
Ardan J. Roa, who is running for mayor, the former Comelec official
is lucky to have town mates who stand solid behind his congressional
bid after local politicians here regardless of party affiliations
have declared their support for Garcillano.
“We don’t practice
crab-mentality here as we always support any town mates who need
moral support as we always rely on each other no matter what and,
besides, Commissioner Garcillano has always been good to us and to
Baungon ever since,” Vice-Mayor Roa told the PNA in an interview
at his home.
Roa said he is confident
Garcillano will win the first congressional post of Bukidnon, saying
the former Comelec commissioner has a huge number of supporters in
seven other towns.
“His victory will vindicate
Attorney Garcillano from his self righteous and hypocrite
detractors,” says Roa who is running independent against his lone
opponent for mayor, Atty. Enriqueto Beja of Lakas-CMD.
 --PNA
|
