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LAPU-LAPU City Vice Mayor Mario Amores is quitting politics.
Amores, an ally of the city administration of Mayor Arturo Radaza, said he was going into a self-imposed exile after Radaza told him not to seek reelection.
?He wanted me to run for the City Council... He said the position of vice mayor was not very useful,? Amores said.
Amores said his decision came following a meeting with Radaza last week, wherein the mayor asked him to run as a councilor.
Amores said Radaza wanted him as a councilor so that he could actively participate in council discussions, as opposed to a vice mayor ? the council?s presiding officer ? who has no say in the council except to break tie votes.
Amores said he still wanted to run for vice mayor, but since Radaza would not allow it, then he would not run at all.
?I?ll impose a self-exile. I won?t join the opposition, but I won?t campaign for the administration either. I?ll just take a leave.?
He suspected that Radaza had ?other reasons? for the decision, but could not speculate as to what.
Opposition leader and mayoralty aspirant Efrain Pelaez Jr. said he suspected that Radaza simply did not want anybody else in the administration party to compete for the public?s attention.
He cited that since Radaza was on his last term, it would have made sense to let Amores run for mayor. Instead, his wife Paz is running for mayor.
?Radaza does not like people taking attention or popularity within his group. Gusto niya, Radaza na lang tanan (He wants everything on the Radazas),? Pelaez said.
?It was Amores who kept on facing the media with a brave face, trying to defend Radaza (against city government anomalies). But yet, he was abandoned by his own mayor. Just goes to show that the only loyalty Radaza has is to himself and his family,? Pelaez added.
Former councilor Eugene Espedido, who is running for Congress under Pelaez?s party Kalihokan sa Katawhan alang sa Kalambuan (KKK), said the party could accommodate Amores if the vice mayor wanted to join them.
It was noted that Pelaez?s group was one member short of a full slate as KKK filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) yesterday.
Pelaez?s running mate is Dr. Ed Tojong, owner of Tojong College Inc., while the party is fielding Espedido as their candidate for House Representative for the newly created Lapu-Lapu City district.
Their candidates for the City Council are lawyers Galicano Arriesgado Jr., Franklin Camasura, Fritz Baguio and Boy Ebales; Dr. Ted Tojong, son of the vice mayoral candidate; pastors Bobbie Cuenca and Noel Pido; engineers Allan Amodia and Jose Monzon Jr.; retired Gen. Rey Berdin and PTA president Tony Dingcong ? a total of 11 candidates.
There are 10 seats on the City Council, but two more will be added in 2010 due to the creation of the Lapu-Lapu City district.
KKK attempted to file their COCs yesterday morning, but a power outage at the city election office caused them to file in the afternoon.
