CEBU CITY — Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero Saturday said he will fully support Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano if the latter runs for governor of Cebu.
As a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Durano has two options, to run either for senator or governor, said Escudero.
“If he is good for the Province of Cebu, and if he is really needed to serve at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, then he has my full support. But the decision to run for senator or governor is a personal decision, so let’s wait for Durano to decide,” Escudero said.
Though a few Cebu City councilors met Saturday with Escudero, they said the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) has not yet chosen who will be its presidential candidate.
Reports surfaced that Mayor Tomas Osmeña has commissioned a survey and that 51 percent favored Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Unlike Gilbert Teodoro, who left the NPC after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed him as defense secretary, Durano remains a member of the NPC.
Even if Teodoro is a nephew of NPC founder Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Escudero is confident he has the support of the NPC chairman emeritus, who is currently chairman of San Miguel Corp.
While NPC is moving for a coalition with other political parties, Escudero said it also intends to put up a complete local slate in Cebu, from governor down to the last councilor.
With a good name and good track record, Durano has good prospects if he runs for governor, the senator added.
Escudero said he has started to talk with Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) and Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district) who are among the NPC originals to return to the party.
“They are really good leaders and they are achievers,” Escudero said of Gullas and Soon-Ruiz.
The other NPC originals in Cebu are former congressman Dr. Antonio Yapha and former Sen. John Osmeña. Yapha, who served as mayor of Pinamungahan town and congressman of Cebu’s third district for decades, is reportedly planning to run for Congress again. He lost when he ran for governor in 2007.
Escudero previously accompanied the first district congressman in a rally in Talisay City where he (Gullas) told the crowd that the senator could be a good president.
To avoid being misunderstood, Gullas issued a statement clarifying that he is still supporting the presidential bid of Sen. Manuel Villar.
Meanwhile, a few Cebu City officials said they have yet to hear the mayor confirm the reports he has ordered a survey to find out who among the presidential aspirants his allies prefer.
“I have no idea. Wala pa man mi nagpa-survey (We haven’t commissioned a survey yet),” said City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., who is close to the mayor.
City Councilors Pe, Richard Osmeña and Jose Daluz III were among those who met with Escudero Saturday.
Osmeña is currently on a 10-day trip in the US for his regular medical checkup following the April surgery to remove his urinary bladder.
Aside from the checkup in Houston, Texas, the mayor will visit friends and will follow up on his proposal for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to offer its services at the South Road Properties.
Sen. Loren Legarda, who is also eyeing the presidency, is helping Osmeña in the plan.
City Council Ex-officio Member Eugenio Faelnar, Association of Barangay Councils president and also a lose friend of the mayor, likewise said he was not told about a survey being made.
Iyang sulti nako nga inigbalik unom kabook among pili-ang presidentiables (He told us that once he returns, we would have to pick from among six presidential aspirants),” Faelnar said.
City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, on the other hand, said there is no survey yet, but the party will resort to it to determine to whom they would ally themselves with in the May 2010 elections.
“That is certain to happen. Sigurado ko mahitabo na pero karon wala koy knowledge of any survey,” he said.
Osmeña had said he is supporting Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II for president because he paved the way for the entry of call centers in Cebu.
But Roxas has since given way to Aquino, who declared he will run for president in next year’s elections, exactly 40 days after the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino.
Both officials of the Liberal Party, Aquino has named Roxas as his choice for a runningmate.
Aside from Roxas, Escudero and Legarda are also wooing Osmeña for his support.
Ace Durano for Cebu Governor 
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