NEWS: Gov. Chiongkee, Comval incumbents stick to Lakas, Gibo

nov 24

Compostela Valley Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy and the rest of incumbent officials under the political aggrupation Uswag Comval have finally decided to stick it out for the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD Sunday evening in final minutes during what could be described as intense political meeting called for to choose who should be their presidential candidate.

In a closed door three-hour meeting held at Miko’s Brew coffee bar in Tagum City, the group decided as “final” to remain with the administration party and support the  administration party’s standard bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, confirmed Uy in a text message.

The meeting was attended by first district Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora , second district Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong, Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya, municipal mayors and vice mayors except Monkayo Mayor Manuel Brillantes Jr and his Vice Mayor Avelino Cabag.

Midway in the meeting Laak Mayor Rey Navarro, in an interview, said that the group was “divided” in that Cong. Amatong and several mayors were for Teodoro, as the governor and other mayors rooted for Senator Manny Villar of Nacionalista Party while Cong. Zamora “would side whoever the governor would decide to support” . Sources said that the name of Senator Noynoy Aquino of the Liberal Party was also entertained.

Close to 9 P.M. and about 45 minutes before the meeting ended, Amatong was seen hurrying to leave from the venue.

Sources said that the group then ended up into voting where the administration’s bet emerged to be the choice fearing a break up of Uswag Comval.

After the meeting, Navarro said “it’s final for the sake of unity we go for Lakas and Gibo”, while Mabini Mayor Hajji Amir Munoz said “we agreed that nobody would leave Lakas”.

Uy said in text message that he had already discussed the issue with Mayor Brillantes in a lunch with him Saturday and that the latter agreed to abide with the group’s collective decision.

Earlier, the governor has been much talked of by pundits to be rooting for Villar than with Teodoro although he was reported to be not closing the door to the Nacionalista Party or Liberal Party if ever they would not remain with the administration party citing that “both parties have the firepower needed for the elections.”

Meanwhile, in separate interview, former Maco Mayor Miller Alaba, who said he is an ardent fan of former President Cory Aquino and presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino, said that “Gov. Uy’s act of going down under his partymates is so humbling and endearing to me”.

Alaba said that while he would go for the opposition he would support Uy and would not support this early former Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero who has been reportedly forming slates under the opposition, possibly swooping down to get the vacant NP now for either a gubernatorial comeback or a renewed congressional run.

The recent support the Uswag Comval has at least boosted up Teodoro in the province despite that he is far trailing behind in local surveys reportedly made by local politicians while Aquino has remained to rank number 1. (By Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: bobong amatong, chiongkee uy, rey navarro, way kurat zamora, chiongkee uy, joecab caballero, mayor hajji amir munoz, mayor rey navarro, miko's brew, rommel amatong, way kurat zamora

NEWS: No Lakas decision yet on Ramil-Maricar toss up- Chiongkee

The Lakas party in Compostela Valley has not yet made a decision on who to anoint between Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya and Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay for the District 1 congressional post for the 2010 polls, breaking the party leaders’ pledge late last year that they would announce the decision by January 2010 after a party caucus.

In a text message, Comval Lakas party provincial chairman Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy said that “it is still too early” in reference as to when the party decision would be handed down to resolve the Ramil-Maricar row over who between them becomes the Lakas standard-bearer.

Vice Gov. Gentugaya in separate text message confirmed on Monday that no party decision yet has been made on the issue.

In a news report November last year Uy was qouted as pledging that the Lakas party would convene a caucus to resolve the issue that has already become a major party headache while there has been no competition among partymates in the District 2 congressional post currently held by neophyte Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong.

District 2 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, father of Maricar, is serving his last term at present.

Both Gentugaya and Apsay have still one more term for reeelection in their respective posts.

Gentugaya is a kin of Uy by Chinese blood while Cong. Zamora has been a political ally of Uy.

Sources said that the issue has already tried to rock the unified Lakas party about two weeks ago during a meeting of provincial party leaders for the Uswag Comval, a local political aggrupation being pushed by the governor.

Sources said that at one time during the affair when Cong. Zamora introduced his daughter as the incoming congresswoman to affix her signature to support Uswag Comval, former Cong. Prospero Amatong stood up and said it would be Ramil as the next congressman of District 1.

The elder Amatong is a voting member-emiritus of the Comval Lakas provincial directorate.

Earlier, Uy said that both “stand in equal footing if the choice is baeed on the Lakas party rules”. He did not not enumerate the rules.

He said it would be the Lakas provincial directorate which would decide the official bet for the post. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: chiongkee uy, comval news, comval officials, maricar zamora-apsay, ramil gentugaya, chiongkee uy, comval news, comval officials, maricar zamora-apsay, ramil gentugaya