MACTAN—Barely a month after they forged an alliance, the Garcia-led One Cebu Party on Monday severed its ties with Vice President Jejomar Binay’s opposition United Nationalist Alliance for allegedly treating it like “Imperial Manila” treats the rest of the country [with disrespect].”
In February, One Cebu and UNA held a joint press conference and announced they would support Binay’s presidential bid.
Yesterday they held separate press conferences.
One Cebu cut its ties with UNA even as former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña reportedly dumped Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II in favor of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Winston Garcia, supposedly UNA’s gubernatorial candidate for Cebu, would not say who the coalition would support next for president in 2016 polls.
But sources said the talks between the camp of Duterte and the Garcias were close to clinching a deal.
Binay would not say who he would back for governor but said he welcomed One Cebu’s decision.
He said he remained optimistic that “whatever misunderstanding” could be threshed out soon.
“We withdraw support from Binay! After a thorough deliberation, we in One Cebu are unanimous in our decision to break away from our alliance with UNA and presidential candidate Jejomar Binay,” Garcia read the party’s statement during a press conference at Casino Español in Cebu City.
“One Cebu entered into an alliance with UNA in the belief that it will be a partnership of equals. We were wrong. Dead wrong. UNA treated One Cebu like imperial Manila treats the rest of the Philippines: with absolute contempt and disrespect.”
Right from the start, Garcia said, UNA had regarded the alliance as nothing more than a “marriage of convenience.”
“UNA obviously subscribes to traditional politics. We don’t,” Garcia said.
“We reject traditional politics and everything that it stands for. The new generation is hungry for real change, not more of the same politics of patronage that UNA espouses and practices to the hilt.”
Garcia said One Cebu entered into an alliance with UNA out of loyalty, but recent events showed that UNA did not appreciate or reciprocate that loyalty.
Without prior notice or consultation with One Cebu, Garcia said UNA had been doing sorties in various areas in the province of Cebu on its own.
Worse, he said, the people of UNA had been cavorting with the opponents of local candidates, thus sowing disunity, discord, and confusion.
“This brings into serious doubt UNA’s perception and treatment of One Cebu as a co-equal partner worthy of loyalty and mutual respect,” Garcia said.
He said it was evident that UNA forged the alliance for its own convenience, just to show that it enjoyed support from vote-rich Cebu rather than for mutual benefit.
“We are therefore constrained to rescind our alliance and to work instead with those who are willing to share our core principles and philosophy to ensure victory for the Cebuanos,” Garcia said.
He cited the public rally of UNA on Monday night in Lapu-Lapu City in which they were not invited.
He also said that UNA did not coordinate with them on Binay’s sortie in Cebu last Friday in Carcar City, Dalaguete, Argao and Talisay City.
As to which candidate they would support now for the national election, Garcia said they might go for a free zone or they might decide to support one candidate.
As to who this candidate would be, Winston said, they would still have to conduct consultations with their leaders in Cebu.
Binay said he respected the decision of One Cebu to break its alliance with UNA.
“We respect their decision,” Binay said in a press conference in Waterfront Hotel-Mactan.
“But let me just assure you, people of Cebu, that [I will pursue] the promises and commitments I made when I become president. Firstly, I will establish a Malacañang in Cebu.”