BARELY two days after he announced that he has defected from the ruling party, Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos is back in the limelight, this time, declaring he is now allied with Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal party.
“Yes, take oath mi this morning with Noynoy and Mar. Connie Lim was there too,” was the governor’s text message to this paper when asked of the developments.
Last Monday, Ocampos surprised his constituents with his pronouncement over the radio that he has bolted out of Lakas Kampi CMD over some disagreements.
Ocampos, who heads the 80-strong governors’ league, has been known to be one of the high-profile politicians “very close” to President Gloria Arroyo.
He explained his unexpected decision was borne out of his frustrations when the administration party rejected his demands that all “favored candidates” in his faction “must be included” in the 2010 elections under Lakas.
Ocampos’ faction in Lakas Kampi included Councilor Maria Constancia Lim who signified her intention to run for mayor in Ozamiz. Lim is set to square off with fellow councilwoman Nova Princess Echavez, the nominated candidate of Lakas and under the faction of 2nd District Rep. Herminia Ramiro and Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.
Ocampos, who is eyeing the congressional seat of the second district, has been pushing for Lim to be the mayoralty standard bearer for Lakas in accordance with party principles and guidelines but it was not granted. He also recommended several names as candidates for the two districts but again it was not approved.
The governor was a show stealer during Liberal party’s oath taking ceremony last Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the LP headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City where he joined 100 other defectors and new members ushered by Aquino and vice president candidate Sen. Mar Roxas.
An ABS-CBN report said that several showbiz personalities, local officials and candidates of Manila, Valenzuela City, Caloocan City, Aurora, Laguna, Camarines Sur, Albay, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Compostela Valley also took their membership with LP that day.
As this developed, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan commented that the 2010 presidential election “is no longer a battle for supremacy between the administration and the opposition but a battle between change or the old bankrupt ways.”
Both Ocampos and Lim are carrying genuine reforms as their platform and have enjoined the electorate to join their efforts for real change for Misamis Occidental.
REPORT BY NEPTALIE BATOLENIO & MICHAEL MEDINA
“Yes, take oath mi this morning with Noynoy and Mar. Connie Lim was there too,” was the governor’s text message to this paper when asked of the developments.
Last Monday, Ocampos surprised his constituents with his pronouncement over the radio that he has bolted out of Lakas Kampi CMD over some disagreements.
Ocampos, who heads the 80-strong governors’ league, has been known to be one of the high-profile politicians “very close” to President Gloria Arroyo.
He explained his unexpected decision was borne out of his frustrations when the administration party rejected his demands that all “favored candidates” in his faction “must be included” in the 2010 elections under Lakas.
Ocampos’ faction in Lakas Kampi included Councilor Maria Constancia Lim who signified her intention to run for mayor in Ozamiz. Lim is set to square off with fellow councilwoman Nova Princess Echavez, the nominated candidate of Lakas and under the faction of 2nd District Rep. Herminia Ramiro and Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.
Ocampos, who is eyeing the congressional seat of the second district, has been pushing for Lim to be the mayoralty standard bearer for Lakas in accordance with party principles and guidelines but it was not granted. He also recommended several names as candidates for the two districts but again it was not approved.
The governor was a show stealer during Liberal party’s oath taking ceremony last Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the LP headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City where he joined 100 other defectors and new members ushered by Aquino and vice president candidate Sen. Mar Roxas.
An ABS-CBN report said that several showbiz personalities, local officials and candidates of Manila, Valenzuela City, Caloocan City, Aurora, Laguna, Camarines Sur, Albay, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Compostela Valley also took their membership with LP that day.
As this developed, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan commented that the 2010 presidential election “is no longer a battle for supremacy between the administration and the opposition but a battle between change or the old bankrupt ways.”
Both Ocampos and Lim are carrying genuine reforms as their platform and have enjoined the electorate to join their efforts for real change for Misamis Occidental.
REPORT BY NEPTALIE BATOLENIO & MICHAEL MEDINA
