Garin declares full support to Gov. Tupas
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) administrator Oscar Garin, Sr., who is considered a political kingpin in the first district of Iloilo, yesterday declared that he would be supporting the reelection bid of Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. this May 2007 polls.
Garin confirmed in an interview made by TV Patrol Iloilo anchor Atty. Jobert Peñaflorida that he has called Tupas of his decision.
Garin said he made the decision while having a meeting with all the barangay captains of the first district in one restaurant in the city yesterday afternoon.
The former congressman added that his declaration of support to Tupas is with “no conditionalities, no strings attached.”
He said his constituents in the first district will primarily benefit from his decision to support Tupas.
Garin in the same television interview added that he would no longer run for any position in the May 2007 elections.
Meanwhile, a press release from the Capitol reported that Garin tried to called Tupas's mobile phone around 4 p.m. yesterday informing the latter of his decision.
Reportedly, Garin initially informed Board Member Domingo Oso in the middle of the ongoing session at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Oso immediately informed Tupas of the message.
Just when Tupas got the message, Garin himself also made a call to confirm his sudden decision to support Tupas.
Tupas earlier, gathered practically all the barangay captains in the town of Oton at the Breakthrough Restaurant for a caucus, getting their pulses to confirm their support for the incumbent governor.
Majority of the barangay captains in Oton have pledged their support for Tupas in the forthcoming May elections mainly because of the financial help extended to them by the governor in their barangays regardless of their political affiliation in the past 2004 elections.
Further, Tupas reportedly was not asking any political favor in return for releasing his Internal Revenue Allotment Fund to the barangays and the School board Funds to various elementary and secondary schools distributed in the five districts of the province.
Meanwhile, feuding brothers former Oton Mayor Felix "Totik" Flores and Brgy. Captain Evaresto "Bebing" Flores, Poblacion North, had decided to bury the hatchet after almost a decade of misunderstanding due to political differences.
The two reconciled yesterday, reportedly for the sake of family unity and a peaceful transition of political power to the imminent political victory of their nephew Vice-Mayor Vicente "Vincent" Flores who is running for mayor himself in the forthcoming local May elections.
The reconciliation of the feuding brothers was done amid the presence of former Cong. Oscar Garin and their nephew Vincent Flores and the barangay captains while the two embraced each other. (with Nelson Robles)