Sunday, April 1, 2007

Miraflores ignites war of clans

Noel Cabobos


KALIBO, Aklan—With barely a month and a week before Election Day, the kettle is just starting to warm up here. But if the situation goes madly wrong, expect a ‘volcanic eruption’.

This was the warning over the weekend of teary-eyed Mayor Jun Garcia, nephew of Cong. Florencio Miraflores, when he and his family and supporters met the media a day after Miraflores announced during the Tibyog press conference that he is picking his party over his family for the May 14 elections.

It may be recalled that Miraflores announced that he is standing by Gov. Carlito Marquez even as Mabeth Mobo-Garcia, wife of Mayor Jun Garcia, runs against Marquez for the hotly contested gubernatorial post.

The Garcias and the Mobos in Ibajay, influential political clans in this province, have been supporting Miraflores since he started his political career and it was the late governor Roberto Garcia Sr., father of Mayor Garcia, who groomed him in politics.

ON THE WARPATH

During the interview, Mayor Garcia even hinted that if he gets the chance, he will run against Miraflores to show his utter disgust for abandoning and trying to divide the family.

During the Comelec deadline for filing of candidacies, Miraflores fielded his wife Lulu for the mayoralty post against Mayor Garcia 30 minutes after Mabeth Garcia filed her certificate of candidacy for governor.

“I love uncle (Miraflores) but what he did was unforgivable. My wife and I even went to the extent of separating because of her plan to run for Congress but because of the family prodding her not to contest uncle for it will leave a very bad taste for the family, she slid down to seek for the gubernatorial post instead. Despite this he still fielded a candidate against me,” the teary-eyed mayor said.

“We are not afraid of Lulu but the very bad thing about this development is the ill-feelings of families, relatives and friends that came out because of his decision. It’s really very bad and everybody doesn’t feel good about it. It’s very divisive,” he said.

INITIAL BLOW

What worsened Mayor Jun Garcia and family’s anger was the effect of the feud on their mother, Rosario Garcia who, during the height of stress due to tension that resulted within the family, vomited with blood the other day.

Melrose Garcia-Umali, eldest sister of the Garcias, went on the air for the first time and emotionally announced what had happened to their mother because of the tension gripping the Garcia and Miraflores families.

“She doesn’t have any serious ills before and her blood pressure was always in a normal state but when this tension came up, her blood abnormally shot up and she then puked blood,” she said. The Daily Guardian tried to check the older Garcia’s condition but family members said she calmed down yesterday but doctors are still attending to her.

DIVIDE AND RULE

During her media appearance, Melrose revealed that she was the first person asked by Miraflores to run for mayor against his brother before the solon finally fielded his wife after her refusal.

SHAKY TIBYOG

Aside from the problems in the family circle, the reelectionist solon is facing difficulties as political lieutenants of Marquez and Miraflores are reportedly in a serious fracas. Sources said it might heighten the tension inside this dominant political alliance with the possibility of more renegades jumping to the other parties.

As of this date, re-electionist Banga mayor Jeremy Fuentes has left Tibyog joining the camp of Mabeth Garcia while Tibyog stalwarts Ceciron Cawaling of Malay, Numancia Vice Mayor Adolfo Iligan and Councilor Winston “Boy” Carillo, and Lezo mayoral aspirant Alejandro Arcenio joined the United Opposition’s team of Vicky Ramos and former congresswoman Billie Calizo.

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