2010 Philippine elections

Another Osmeña running for senator

Jesus F. Llanto

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

This photo is belatedly added as an update in 2016.

Lito Osmeña's Facebook page

Emilio says there should be more Cebuanos in the legislature

Former Cebu Governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña filed his certificate of candidacy Sunday at the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila, a few days after his cousin Sergio Osmeña III filed his COC.

The 71-year old Emilio Osmeña said that he is running under his party, the Probinsiya Muna Development Initiatiative or Promdi, also his political vehicle when he ran for president and lost in 1998. Promdi has yet to decide
which presidential candidate to support in 2010.

The former governor said that after more than a decade of absence from government service, he is running to give voice to the Cebuanos in the Senate. “There is a void in equity in leadership. There is no Cebuano-speaking senator and yet we are 30% of the country.”

Osmeña said Cebuanos should “learn from the Bicolanos,” referring to the Bicolanos’ record of delivering the votes to national candidates who are from their region.

At present, 4 senators have Bicolano roots: Joker Arroyo, Francis Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Old, young

Osmeña said one of his advocacies will be the development in the provinces and in the countryside. He thinks he is more fit to be a senator than to be
in an executive position.

“I am too old to be an executive but young enough to be in the Senate,” he said, adding that the current leadership is “a little short of what needs to be done.”

Osmeña served as governor of Cebu from 1988 to 1992. According to the book Showdown 1998: The Search for the Centennial President, he entered the capitol when the provincial government had no savings, but left it with
a budget 14 times bigger than at the start of his administration. During his term, the phrase “Ce-boom” was coined to refer to the economic progress in the province.

Osmeña was the running mate of former president Fidel Ramos in 1992 under the Lakas-Tao, the precursor of the present Lakas-CMD. Osmeña lost to then senator Joseph Estrada.

After his defeat to Estrada, Osmeña was appointed presidential adviser on
flagship programs and projects, and as Ramos’ economic adviser in 1993.
He eventually bolted Lakas when Ramos chose to endorse Jose de Venecia
Jr., who was party standard-bearer for the 1998 elections.

Osmeña formed Promdi and ran in the 1998 presidential elections against De Venecia and Estrada again. He lost.

“I ran for president and lost  to a president that is eventually removed,” he said. (Newsbreak)

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