‘TOTO-TINGTING?’: Guv hints at ‘status quo’ on 2022 vice gubernatorial race

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Thursday hinted at not fielding a running mate which favors incumbent Vice-Governor Christine “Tingting” Garin in the 2022 elections.

Defensor told Daily Guardian on Wednesday that he could not make any pronouncements on his tandem next year as talks are still brewing between him, Garin, and other political leaders in the province.

But in his regular press conference on Thursday, the governor said he met with Garin regarding their situation, as well as the playing field in the latter’s political bailiwick in the first district.

Garin’s sister-in-law, Janette, is the district’s congressional representative while her father, Oscar Sr., is the mayor of their hometown Guimbal.

Defensor said he and Garin ultimately agreed that despite being members of different parties, they will not be fielding opponents against each other.

He added that he will also refrain from fielding a congressional bet in the first district.

He also pointed out his good working relationship with Garin, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defensor is provincial chairman of the ruling PDP-Laban while Garin is with the Nacionalista Party, which is allied with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte at the national level.

PDP-Laban members in Iloilo include 8 mayors, 1 district representative, and 1 board member, while NP has 34 mayors, 4 district representatives, and 7 board members.

“So our joining, me being a member of one party, I will no longer field a candidate to go against our incumbent vice-governor Tingting (Garin). There will be no one coming from my party. For her, in representation of the 1st district and the family, that will also be their position. They will not field a candidate which will compete with us,” Defensor said.

The governor stopped short of confirming Garin as his running mate, citing the lack of formal coalitions between PDP-LABAN and the NP.

Their families did run together in 2016 under the Liberal Party when former governor Arthur Defensor Sr. picked Tingting Garin as his running mate.

“There is no formal coalition among the parties. We only coalesce because we talked, and really it is also different in congress and the municipal levels. That is why this is different right now,” the young Defensor said.

But the governor did confirm that talks with his 2019 running mate, former Barotac Viejo mayor Niel Tupas III, naturally fell out.

He also pointed to his recurring talks with current district representatives, including Tupas’ brother 5^th district Rep Raul Tupas. Their discussions included the province’s second-highest post.

“We started, but it did not develop into something. We weren’t able to talk face-to-face with former mayor Beng Tupas, but this is also a consequence of talking with the congressmen we are working with, especially that they [Garin] are from the same party. It started and continued to develop until we went to the point where we were able to choose who we would be our vice governor,” he said.

As to reports that AAMBIS-OWA Partylist Representative Sharon Garin might substitute her sister (Tingting) as the vice-gubernatorial candidate in the elections, Defensor pointed back to his discussions with the Reps. Tupas and Michael Gorriceta (Iloilo, 2nd).

One of the conditions of their compromise in the local elections was to let Tingting run for her last 3-year term as governor.

Sharon is currently serving her last term as AAMBIS-OWA Partylist representative in the 18th Congress.

“The number one consideration in our discussions, and that is also the consideration of the other congressmen, Mike Gorriceta and Boboy [Tupas], is that, the most important thing there is that Vice Governor Tingting is an incumbent. We have worked together for more than two years, and we have a good direction. [We] want her to continue as the vice governor of the province on our side, regardless of party affiliation,” Defensor said.

SECOND DISTRICT SCRAMBLE

Defensor also clarified that arrangements he had made with Tupas and Gorriceta in their meeting last Saturday on mayoral bets were not yet final.

Gorriceta on Wednesday told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo that except for New Lucena and Santa Barbara towns, he and the governor will field common candidates in second district towns.

The second district also includes Alimodian, Leganes, Leon, Pavia, San Miguel, and Zarraga.

The governor said he was not ready to release details on their municipal candidates as talks were still ongoing with Tupas, Gorriceta, and Garin.

He also cited the factor of distinct dynamics of the political scene in each local government unit of the province.

“We’re not ready to talk about that, because right now we are still talking. We continue to call, because we have not finalized anything. Again, one thing is for sure, the formulas in the towns are different from each other. Almost all of them have distinct situations and circumstances in the political arrangements in each town,” the governor said.

He added that he is still set to meet and discuss “their New Lucena mayor” and iron out other details with Gorriceta.

He did not specify whether he was referring to New Lucena Mayo Liecel Mondejar-Seville, or another candidate that he will be fielding in the town.

“I have pending talks with our New Lucena mayor, and when it’s done, I will talk to Congressman Mike on what we talked about. I cannot answer with finality. Again, it is fluid, because we will still talk about that with our candidates and with [Gorriceta],” he said.

Defensor will also try to meet with NP-Iloilo provincial chairperson, former 4th district congressman Ferjenel Biron, on municipal arrangements in the latter’s district.

The governor mentioned meeting with Biron in Manila months back which led to an agreement that PDP-LABAN will not field candidates in the 4th district.

“We talked several months ago on the same principle. But we will still talk to Congressman Ferj, like how we talked to Congressman Mike last Saturday, where we talked about the arrangements in the municipalities,” he said.