After endorsing his cousin Georgia Osmeña of Lakas-Kampi CMD for city mayor against Cebu Vice Mayor Michael Rama of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK)/ Liberal Party, Sonny yesterday endorsed congressional bet Mary Ann Delos Santos of Kusug/Nacionalista Party against neophyte Cutie del Mar of LP.
Georgia is supporting administration bet Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro. Delos Santos is campaigning for NP standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar since Kusug has forged an alliance with NP while del Mar is supporting LP presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Despite his withdrawal, Sonny said he would stand by his choice for president which is Aquino while the two candidates who has his blessings have different presidents.
“I will ask Georgia to stick with Gibo and I will ask Mary Ann to stick with Villar while I remain loyal to LP and endorse Noynoy.” said Sonny, who is one of the LP originals.
Delos Santos said the latest development would be a plus to her candidacy.
“First I would like to thank him for the confidence he has given to me considering that he is an Osmena, a relative of Raul del Mar and a political scientist,” Delos Santos said.
She added that it was a bold move of the former senator and admitted that it has given her candidacy a boost.
Delos Santos revealed that Sonny conducted a survey and the result may have prompted Sonny to withdraw his candidacy and pour his full support to Georgia and Delos Santos.
“If there’s anyone who knows the ins and outs of Raul del Mar, that is Sonny. Once upon a time, Del Mar was a protégé of Sonny,” Delos Santos told CDN.
After revealing his plan to support Delos Santos, Sonny likened the barangay Lahug chief to Cebuano family names who did well in Congress like the Sottos, Cabahug, Fernan and Osmeña.
“There is no other person in the north who could continue the Cebuano legacy in Congress but Mary Ann,” Sonny said.
Delos Santos, however, clarified that during her talks with Sonny, there were no mention of national candidates.
“From the very start, I am standing by my party and Villar is my president and Alvin Garcia is my mayor,” Delos Santos said.
Even if Delos Santos said that she would not be supporting Georgia, she said that she and Georgia have been close friends.
“She even invited to me to her birthday last year with her group. We are friends, yes,” she said. “But anything goes between now and on election day. We really could not tell.”
Delos Santos has been a critic of Georgia’s brother, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena.
“It doesn’t follow. Just because they are brothers and sisters they have the same attitude. No!,” she added.
Former Cebu governor Lito Osmena said he is pleased that his elder brother, Sonny has withdrawn from the mayoral race.
Lito said he had been wanting Sonny to withdraw because he supports BOPK candidates led by Tomas Osmena.
“Unshaken ang akong support sa BOPK and I am very happy that my brother finally withdrew because it was very painful not to be able to campaign and work for him,” Lito told Cebu Daily News.
Lito said that with Sonny out of the mayoral race, votes for the latter could go to Georgia.
However, Lito said that Georgia’s vote would not be enough to defeat Rama
If elections were held today, Lito said he was certain the BOPK congressional – Osmeña (south district) and Cutie del Mar (north district) “would win very handsomely”.
Lito said that even Rama and his running mate Joy Augustos Young are already sure winners.
He said that since Sonny is no longer seeking an elective post, “now I will open communications with my brother”.
As this developed, the chief of the city’s anti drug unit said they have received no reports that candidates were supported by drug lords in Cebu City.
Supt. Paul Labra II, chief of the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force said that as far as their aggressive campaign against illegal drugs is concerned, there are no reports that drug pushers are supporting any local candidates. /DORIS C. BONGCAC and CHITO O. ARAGON
Cebu Daily News 
Posted on May 2, 2010
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