Eastern Visayas pols defect to Nacionalista
TACLOBAN CITY — Some 400 politicians in Eastern Visayas, including Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina, have defected to the Nacionalista Party.
Espina, Biliran provincial chairman of the Lakas-CMD-Kampi party, was among the 400 politicians, including 50 from Biliran, who took their oath before NP president Sen. Manuel Villar during the mass oath taking held Wednesday afternoon at the Asia Convention Center in Tacloban City.
Espina, who the Lakas-Kampi in Biliran for the past nine years, said he joined the NP because he believed that Villar, with his humble beginnings and experiences in governance, has the qualities needed to become the next president of the country.
The Biliran governor, now on his last term, noted that while President Arroyo was their friend, she would not be running for president in 2010.
Biliran, a bailiwick of the administration, is an island province with eight municipalities.
In bolting the ruling party, Espina brought with him Biliran Vice Gov. Lucila Curso, his sister Board Member Roselyn Espina-Paras, his twin brother Rodolfo who is the mayor of Kawayan town, three other mayors, some 40 municipal council members, and seven ABC federation presidents in the province.
The other politicians who joined the NP included former Leyte board member Herville Pajaron, Mayor Hazel Po of Calubian town and Mayor Ervin Dy of Julita, all from Leyte, and Mayor Aran Boller of Matuguinao town and Mayor Chanita Gabieta of Jiabong town, both from Samar.
Some NP stalwarts like former Rep. Gilbert Remulla and lawyer Adel Tamano witnessed the event.
The mass oath taking held in Tacloban City was the fourth batch in the past month in the country, with more than 200 mayors joining the NP, Villar said on Wednesday.
He said that during the Wednesday oath taking, 457 local politicians comprising a governor, a vice governor, a board member, 10 mayors, 13 vice mayors and around 430 other officials from the provinces of Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar and Eastern Samar, all in Eastern Visayas, have joined the NP.
Cebu Daily News First Posted 11:36:00 10/23/2009 Filed Under: Politics, Eleksyon 2010/Inquirer
[...] Kasadyaan Festival 2008 will feature 19 festivals from the towns of Leyte, Samar and Biliran. …Eastern Visayas pols defect to Nacionalista | THE REPORTER …TACLOBAN CITY Some 400 politicians in Eastern Visayas, including Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina, have [...]