ILOILO – Vice Gov. Christine “Tingting” Garin is not seeking reelection.
She is running for congresswoman of the party-list AAMBIS-Owa, she disclosed to journalists.
AAMBIS-Owa is a party-list for marginalized farmers.
The party-list’s current representative in the Lower House is Garin’s elder sister Sharon who is on her third term and is barred by law from seeking a fourth consecutive term.
“My family asked me to instead run for AAMBIS-Owa congresswoman,” said the vice governor, and she agreed.
Garin, a first-term vice governor, admitted she would have wanted to serve the province longer.
“I like serving Iloilo. It’s a lively province and I can really interact with the constituents that I serve,” she said.
Garin ran for vice governor in the May 2016 election after serving the municipality of Guimbal for three consecutive terms.
She said her congressman brother Richard (1st District, Iloilo) may run for vice governor in her stead.
Richard had served as vice governor in the past.
Garin, however, said this has yet to be finalized by their family, the acknowledged political kingpins in the 1st District.
“It’s probable nga si Richard or Sharon,” she said.
What is certain, according to the vice governor, is that their parents Oscar and Ninfa will seek reelection as mayors of the municipality of Guimbal and San Joaquin, respectively.
“They both love to serve their hometowns,” said Garin.
As to Richard’s wife, former Health secretary Janette Garin, the vice governor said her sister-in-law may run for congresswoman of the 1st District if Richard decides to run for vice governor.
Janette served as congresswoman of the district prior to her appointment as Health secretary during the administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Early this month, Janette expressed confidence the Dengvaxia controversy won’t affect the political strength of the Garin family.
Ilonggos are intelligent people, according to Garin who faces charges for the Department of Health’s 2016 anti-dengue vaccination program that used Dengvaxia, a vaccine that, as found out late last year, may cause severe dengue to children inoculated with it but did not have previous dengue infection.
“The province of Iloilo has a high literacy rate. Ilonggos are smart and not easily swayed by fake news,” said Janette, a doctor./PN
