CEBU CITY -- The Garcias of Cebu may have different preferences among the presidentiables, but it doesn’t mean there is bickering within the family.
Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia made the clarification on Wednesday, a day after the One Cebu Party where she is the president opted to endorse Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos as the president the party will support in the May 9 elections.
Garcia said she and her younger brother, Cebu 3rd District Congressman Pablo John Garcia, remain on good terms after the endorsement of Bongbong Marcos.
Gwendolyn’s brother, Pablo John, who is the party’s secretary-general, is supporting Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. He said he cannot support Marcos and “to avoid a conflict of interest,” he decided to step down as One Cebu’s secretary-general.
“If we have varying choices, we will respect each other and I will respect that choice. We can agree to disagree,“ said the governor at the sidelines of One Cebu’s general assembly where Marcos and his running mate were formally endorsed last Tuesday.
To prove that there was no conflict between her and her brother, the governor said that Pablo John was even involved in preparing One Cebu’s statement announcing the endorsement.
“We were together the day before (One Cebu convention) and just this morning (April 12), we called (over the phone) and he made a last look with the statement,” the governor said.
Garcia said that “out of respect to my brother,” Pablo John and the One Cebu candidates from Cebu Third District were no longer invited to attend the convention.
Before the announcement, Pablo John was already openly supporting Moreno while the governor’s daughter, Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco, was actively backing the Marcos-Duterte tandem.
The governor said choosing a presidential candidate was a difficult task.
“You were aware how difficult it was for me as a sister and as a mother and as your president of One Cebu Party,” she said.
“Gikinahanglan ipahiluna nato ang tanan (I needed to put everything in order). Kay dili nako buot mahitabo na usab ang nahitabo kanato niadtong tuig 2010 (I did not want what happened in 2010 to happen again) because above all, beyond our political lives and political careers, family is most important and will always be my utmost priority,” she said.
The Garcias had different choices in the 2010 elections that caused conflict within the family.