TACLOBAN CITY – City Councilor Atty. Arvin Antoni, who has signified to run for a vice mayoralty seat in the coming May 14 polls, belied observations that he and reported team mate, Dan Stephen Palami, are being pushed to run by Leyte First District Representative Remedios “Matin” Petilla behind the back of the unification forged between the Romualdezes and Petilla families weeks ago.
According to Antoni, his plan to run for a higher elective position has been signified long before the two clans made final their unification effort with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacaňang.
“We cannot stop them (Romualdez camp) from thinking that. It would really be hard to make them understand and believe if that’s what they really want to believe for themselves. Bisan pa kami inuruutro pageksplikar nga diri, diri gud ito hira mamamati kay amo iton ira gusto tuoron nga ira ginhuhuna-huna,” Councilor Antoni disclosed in a local radio interview.
Antoni said he and Palami joined their plans to run for an elective only recently. Otherwise, he said, they were on two different courses.
“It was only recently that the plan forms a slate of our own with Dan and me. I had my own plans and he was having his own but later when finally he decided it’s the mayoralty post he is interested, so I said why not join forces,” Atty. Antoni said.
Earlier, Alfred Romualdez, City Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez’ son, who is intending to vie for the city mayor’s seat this May polls, declared he and his slate are threatened by Palami’s mayoralty bid including that of the latter’s slate either while dismissing allegations that the Romualdez family is strongly “pressuring” the new reported contender to kiss his bid goodbye.
As this developed, with Alfred, no longer running unopposed and with talks the Petillas endorsing the newest slate, Mayor Bejo formally announced before a large crowd last week that he will make a go at it at the gubernatorial seat.
Reportedly, this decision also came about when Leyte First District Rep. Remedios “Matin” Petilla hugged the headlines last week signifying her making a “deep consideration” of running for mayor in town of Palo.
A reliable source, who refused to be named, said this plan and that of Palami’s pushed the 72-year-old city mayor to decide and run despite the agreement forged in Malacaňang between the two families.
However, the same sources said that the next five days before the deadline for the fling of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) on March 29 would be crucial if the two clans would finally oppose each other or the unification will stay.
The source added that another round unification talks is brewing in Malacaňang this week to settle the cord between the two families.
