Garci for Congress?

IN Bukidnon recently for an assignment, I asked among some residents of the first congressional district whether or not they will vote for Garci in the mid-term elections in May. Garci, of course, is Virgilio Garcillano, former elections commissioner who figured in the most grievous scandal that has so far hit the incumbent President.

Garcillano has publicly announced that he is gunning for a seat in Congress, his second attempt, having already run the same contest in 1987. The answers were mixed: some said they will not vote for him as the shadow of the “Hello, Garci?” controversy still lingers; others, meanwhile, will give him a chance.

At the time of these interviews, it was being said that Manolo Fortich mayor Socorro Acosta will run against Garci. Now it seems Mrs. Acosta would rather vie for a third term as mayor. (Mrs. Acosta is one-half of the mother-and-son political tandem in Bukidnon, the other being three-term congressman, Neric. Read PCIJ’s report on the Acostas here.)

The deadline for filing certificates of candidacy for local positions is tomorrow, so the public has to wait a bit to see whether indeed, Mr. Garcillano will run and who will battle with him. But, as Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. told PCIJ, Garcillano is already “campaigning hard.”

Listen to the podcast here.

Language: Filipino
File size: 1.6 MB
Length: 00:01:42