By Jhunnex Napallacan, Chris Ligan, Carine M. Asutila
Cebu Daily News First Posted 07:33:00 12/02/2009 Filed Under: Politics, Eleksyon 2010
ENDING MONTHS of public speculation, Interior Undersecretary Joselito Ruiz is running for congressman for the district of Lapu-Lapu City under the Nationalists People’s Coalition.
He will face Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza.
Ruiz’ wife, 6th district Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, is running for mayor in neighboring Mandaue City.
Opposition Councilor Junard “Ahong” Chan of NPC is running for Lapu-Lapu against Radaza’s wife, Paz.
His running mate is Ricardo Amores.
NPC candidates for city councilors are lawyers Dave Godornes, Gregorio Paquibot and Rudy Taneo; Canjulao barangay captain Rufo Bering, businessmen Celestino Aying, Lani Dakay and Cesario Silawan; retired Chief Insp. Emiliano Ngujo; Norma Evina Casul and Cebuano actress Rutchell Borbajo.
Ruiz and Radaza both filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) yesterday.
Each House hopeful sponsored a Mass at the Our Lady of the Rule shrine before filing their COCs.
Radaza and his party attended Mass at the shrine at 8:30 a.m.
From there, they put on a show as they led a caravan of around 300 tricycles, 200 motorcycles, 60 cars, 40 skateboarders, and hundreds of people on foot in a march to the city’s election office at the City Hall building.
Radaza was accompanied by the party’s other bets – Radaza’s wife Paz, Marshall Ycong for vice mayor, and their slate for the City Council: reelectionists Eduardo Cuizon, Quennie Malingin Ammann, Rodolfo Potot, Cornelio Pahang Efren Herrera and Alexander Gestopa Jr., as well as newcomers Roque Wagwag, Francisco Senerpida, Melissa Vidal, Florito Pozon and Radaza’s nephew, Harry Don Radaza.
Ruiz and his party attended Mass at the shrine at 1 p.m. Their trip to the election office afterwards was not without fanfare either, as Ruiz and his wife, Congresswoman Soon-Ruiz, headed a caravan of several large and regular sized motorcycles, cars, pickups and people on foot.
With the party lines in Lapu-Lapu now clear, it will be a three-cornered fight for City Hall in 2010.
The Kalihokan sa Katawhan alang sa Kalambuan party of mayoral aspirant Efrain Pelaez Jr., who are associated with the Liberal Party of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, submitted their COCs last Monday.
Ruiz said his wife is the 6th district chairperson of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, which is allied with Radaza’s party.
But he said this has little bearing on Lapu-Lapu City since the city is no longer under the 6th district.
Ruiz said his wife was instrumental in the formation of his slate and the unity between Chan and Amores.
Ruiz said a critical factor in the party’s unity was when Amores decided to run for vice mayor shortly after Radaza dropped Amores’ uncle, Vice Mayor Mario Amores, from Deretso sa Kalambo-an’s slate.
The vice mayor earlier said he would quit politics for now after Radaza refused his desire to seek reelection under Deretso sa Kalambo-an Party.
Vice Mayor Amores said Radaza wanted him to run for a seat in the City Council.
But Radaza said yesterday that Vice Mayor Amores voluntarily decided not to run for any position after learning that his nephew, Ricardo, was running for vice mayor under Ruiz.
Also, the party did not offer its mayoralty spot to Vice Mayor Amores because the latter had endorsed Paz to run for mayor, Radaza said.
Radaza said that even though Vice Mayor Amores would not run for an elective position in 2010, he remained a member in the Deretso sa Kalambo-an Party.
Paz said the Ycong’s replacement of Amores was agreed by the entire party.
Ricardo, however, insisted that his uncle did not voluntarily leave Radaza’s party, but was “kicked out.”
He said he was supposed to run for the City Council had his uncle sought reelection.
But with his uncle out of the picture, Ricardo said his family encouraged him to run for vice mayor.
