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Two women now head Cebu’s major political parties.
Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz of the 6th district was appointed interim vice president for the Visayas of the administration party, Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrat (Lakas-Kampi-CMD).
Her appointment was approved in a joint Resolution No. 3 of the national directorate of the Lakas-CMD and the National Council of Kampi on May 28 and was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 8.
An ally, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, heads One Cebu, a local party. At least 80 percent of local officials are members of One Cebu which was allied with Kampi in 2007.
Whose lead will be followed in determining local administration candidates in the 2010 polls?
Sought for comment, Garcia said she was not knowledgeable about Lakas-Kampi rules and procedures.
Asked who would draw up the list of local candidates – her as One Cebu head or Soon-Ruiz as vice president of Lakas-Kampi – Garcia replied: “I will answer your question when it will time to choose our candidates. As of now, there are more urgent matters that require my attention.”
Mandaue Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said he believed that Soon-Ruiz' appointment would strengthen the alliance of the national party and One Cebu.
Fortuna said the position of Soon-Ruiz as national vice president for the Visayas and Garcia as head of the province-based One Cebu cannot be compared.
The vice mayor said Garcia is the head of the local party and Soon-Ruiz is appointed by a national party.
“One Cebu is a local party and neither one can be compared to the other,” Fortuna said.
He said that with Soon-Ruiz, sitting in the national executive council of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, she will be able to fully support the programs of One Cebu party.
Soon-Ruiz, who is serving her last term as 6th district representative, plans to run for Mandaue city mayor and challenge the reelection bid of Mayor Jonas Cortes.
She endorsed Fortuna as her successor, a move that upset party members who complained that the congresswoman spoke without consulting them.
One of those who complained was Provincial Board Member Victor Maambong, who is also on this third term and is interested to run for the 6th district seat.
Just like her appointment as vice president for the Visayas, Maambong also complained that party members were not consulted.
“I do not know of the appointment made. You can be appointed anytime by the national party but it may not be binding for the other (local) members of the party,” said Maambong.
“I just hope that the appointment will not be another reason to disregard the rights of the other members (of the party),” he added.
As vice president for the Visayas, Soon-Ruiz said she was authorized by the party “to discharge the functions and prerogatives of her office pursuant to the party’s Constitution and By-laws.”
Lawyer Gonzalo Malig-on, the congresswoman's spokesman, said the functions of approving official candidates to the party was being worked out as the rules and procedures for endorsements were not still finalized.
“What is good now is that Inday Nerry (Soon-Ruiz) now sits at the National Council meetings as vice president for the Visayas,” Malig-on said. “She is not just an ordinary officer of the party.”
Soon-Ruiz has been Kampi vice president for the Visayas since the previous elections.
“I am honored and I’ll do the best of my abilities to serve in the new political party,” Soon-Ruiz said in a statement.
Fortuna said the appointment of Soon-Ruiz would carry “more weight” in determining the official candidates.
“We are very happy as this will boost her candidacy for mayor. This is a strong indication that the national party has trust and confidence in her,”he added.
But Maambong said the merger of the principles of both parties should be subject for discussion too. “Party principles” of both Lakas and Kampi should be considered as a binding force between members, he added.
The board member said “fairness” employed by leaders of the party would automatically compel other members to bind themselves with the appointments and other endorsements without forcing them to do so.
As to whose endorsement would prevail between One Cebu and Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Maambong said this would depend on how the principles of both parties were merged. This would compel all party-members of both local and national to follow.
Rep. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu's 3rd district said he was not privy of developments in the merger of Lakas and Kampi political parties.
He said the appointment of Soon-Ruiz as Lakas-CMD-Kampi vice president for the Visayas may be a decision of national party officials.
Garcia said he knew that Soon Ruiz was already Kampi vice president for the Visayas in the 2007 election when candidates from Kampi and Lakas ran against each other.
Pablo John said Kampi entered into an alliance with the One Cebu party headed by his sister in the 2007 election.
With Soon-Ruiz' announcement, he said he was also uncertain about how things would be in the 2010 election.
In the meantime, Board Member Maambong warned that Soon-Ruiz may be disqualified to run for mayor in Mandaue in 2010 if her husband, Interior Undersecretary Lito Ruiz, would push through with his plan to run for mayor in Lapu-Lapu City.
Maambong cited the Larrazabal case in Ormoc City, Leyte where both husband and wife ran for elected posts in different areas.
“This is a doctrine decided by the court that the wife should follow the residence of the husband, except if they are separated but that’s another story,” Maambong said.
Malig-on said Soon-Ruiz would not comment on the issue because the elections were still 10 months away. He said Ruiz has not announced he would run for any position in Lapu-Lapu. /Reporter Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan and Chris Ligan
