Tagum mayor perplexed on what’s his political party

(late upload oct 25, 2014 news)

Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon is perplexed over what is his political party now as in the last 2013 election he ran under the PDP Party but “without the PDP’s CONA (Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance)”.

“I’m PDP (candidate), but technically I’m independent, or I’m PDP independent,” he said.

That time the PDP party leadership was not yet wracked with division between Vice President Jejomar Binay and the Pimentels- former Senator Nene and Senator Koko.

In March this year Binay left PDP and is now leading the United Nationalist Alliance which he shared leadership with PMP party czar, former President Erap Estrada.

Rellon left the Liberal Party prior the 2013 polls as he was not endorsed the mayoral standard bearer.

Rellon explained: “I have strong reason to leave the LP. I went to Manila and sought refuge to Binay and he embraced me. I then ran under PDP. But we ran without the CONA. Technically, I’m independent. I don’t know. But I will really go for Binay. We’re closer to each other.”

Further, he said Binay visited him twice in Tagum City while he is already the mayor- during the rover scouting and the national jamboree activities. “Atty. Wendel Avisado (Binay’s top leader in the region) keeps on calling me. We’re closer to each other.”

He further recalled that when he left the LP, “OK ra pod kay I became free” as he ran virtually without a party, without money but with the people of the city backing him up for his victory.

He said that although he left the LP in the province, “but in reality” he always goes for Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, the provincial chair of the LP.

It appears now that Rellon. being “technically independent” is choosing with whom to ally: RDR and Baby of the LP, locally, and Binay of the opposition UNA, nationally.

He said he is willing to go back to the fold of the LP party.

But when it comes to the choice of who’s the standard bearer for mayor in 2016 election, and if it’s not him, he openly confided: “Ah, lahi na na! (It’s different matter).”

He added he is supporting all-out the gubernatorial bid of Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr. in 2016 polls.

Suaybaguio has long not been hiding his interest to run for governor in 2016 saying he has long prepared for it while he has been serving as Gov. Del Rosario’s vice governor for four terms already. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)