Group Endorses Gibo Teodoro

A GROUP of women have organized themselves to mobilize supporters of presidential candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. in Cebu.

Calling themselves Cebuanas for Gibo, the group led by Pinky Chang, Marissa Unchuan and architect Tessie Javier, was officially launched yesterday at the Cebu Grand Convention Center.
When asked why they decided to form the group, Chang said when they were joining activities for Teodoro, she met other women who wanted to volunteer to campaign for the presidential bet but most of them were unaware of the activities.

“That was when I started texting my friends and many gave a positive response,” she said.

To be more organized, Javier said the group is now defining and narrowing down its purpose.

She said they plan to convince those who are still undecided to join the campaign for Teodoro.

Dr. Marilou Ong, a member of Cebu Doctors for Gibo, was also present during the launching and said they are working hard to campaign for Teodoro by giving leaflets to patients and posting stickers even up to 10:30 p.m.

“We believe nga wala na’y laing parehas kay Gibo and he is the best man for the job,” she said.

Rex Carampatana, Green Team Cebu chairperson, said they are not affiliated with any political party and they do not have any personal interests to protect or any hidden agenda.

They said the only compensation Teodoro can give them is good governance when he becomes the president.

The group’s activities include awareness campaigns using leaflets and following up of supporters of Teodoro on election day.

They are also willing to bring voters, especially the sick ones, to precincts using their cars.

The group will hold an interfaith rally this Sunday, 6:30 p.m. at the Capitol grounds.

It will be attended by Gibo’s wife, Rep. Nikki Teodoro.

There will also be caravans going north and south of Cebu on April 25 and May 2, respectively.

Meanwhile, a senatorial candidate of Sen. Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party got the endorsement of One Cebu, which is endorsing Teodoro as president.

Her fight for the cause of women and her close family ties with the Gar-cias gave Sen. Pia Caye-tano an edge when she got the nod of the party as its 12th and final sena-toriable.

“As a nationally elected official, the laws that I passed are applicable in Luzon, Visayas and Minda-nao. The question, though, is the funding for the implementation of these laws... But with the Garcias in Congress, we can be ensured that implementation and funding can include implementation in Cebu,” said Cayetano, referring to Reps. Pablo (Cebu, 2nd district) and Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd)

In a joint press conference with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Pablo John, Cayetano said she and Pablo John have planned to propose in the lower and upper Houses to channel P190 billion of unprogrammed funds to programs for health and education.

The same goes for the P56 billion Motor Vehicle User’s Charge fund that she intends to spend on environmental projects with the help of the Garcias in congress.

Gov. Garcia remembered that when Cayetano’s father, the late senator Rene Cayetano first ran for senator, the governor drove him around Ormoc.

The governor remembered that the late senator, in true campaign fashion, waved to the people who were calling him “Compa-ñero”— which he was popularly called—while she was behind the wheels.

It was the first time Cayetano heard the story. But she also said that her father and Gwendolyn’s father have been in public service together for a long time, thus, a family friendship blossomed.

Pablo John also said that when he was a fresh graduate, Rene hired him to work for his firm.

“Since I won as senator in 2004, giampingan ko ang relationship ko with the Cebuanos through the governor and her family,” said Cayetano who answered questions in Bisaya, Tagalog and English.

Cayetano was not endorsed last March 27 with the other 11 senatorial bets of One Cebu because the governor never got word that Cayetano sought the party’s support.

Apparently, Gwendolyn was in Barcelona when Cayetano asked to meet with her.

One Cebu’s criteria in supporting a candidate were bias for Cebu and humility in asking for party support.

Cayetano got the final nod because her effort to get One Cebu’s support was not an afterthought, unlike the others.