ILOILO City – At 4:59 p.m. yesterday, Iloilo 1st District’s Cong. Richard Garin withdrew his certificate of candidacy (COC). He was not seeking reelection anymore, he announced.
Nov. 29 was the last day for withdrawal and substitution of candidacies for the May 13, 2019 midterm elections.
Garin was accompanied by his sister, Vice Gov. Christine Garin, when he withdrew his candidacy at the Commission on Elections provincial office in La Paz district here.
The withdrawal meant that the sole Garin family member running for the congressional seat in the 1st District was Janette Garin, Richard’s wife and former Health secretary.
Janette, running under the Nacionalista Party, would be clashing against retired Police General Gerardo Flores, an independent candidate.
Previously, three Garin family members filed certificates of candidacy for 1st District congressman – Richard, Janette and the family patriarch Oscar, the mayor of the municipality of Guimbal.
Oscar withdrew his candidacy on Oct. 31.
“Ang pag-withdraw ko was a consensus sang pamilya. We made a promise nga on or before Nov. 29 isa lang ka Garin ang mapadayun,” said Richard yesterday.
He, however, clarified he would continue to be active politically.
“Ang pag-withdraw ni Richard Garin sa politika doesn’t mean nga ma-untat ako sa pamolitika. I will still be active and even more active sa public service, sigehon ko,” he declared.
Richard is currently serving his second consecutive term as congressman and is eligible to seek a third consecutive term.
When he withdrew his candidacy for congressman, Mayor Oscar Garin said, “I withdrew for many reasons pero isa ka major reason is to preserve my family…the unity of the family (comes first). Pulitika and other factors come after that.”
He insisted there was no fissure in the family, only differences in opinion that “indi ko gusto nga maglatom pa.”
Garin also said his withdrawal should correct the impression that their family was greedy for political power.
“We cannot correct that impression unless isa lang sa Garin mapadalagan (congressman),” he said.
When he filed his COC for congressman in October, the elder Garin tried to explain the unique situation with his son and daughter-in-law to the press this way: “We’re fine-tuning the situation. Nothing is very definite…just ample preparation for any eventuality.”
Asked what he meant by “fine-tuning”, Mayor Garin further explained: “Bali gina-evaluate pa namon each and every angle, each and every level. We have yet to come up with a definite grasp of the situation. So, amo ina, may reserve lang so that we can still be flexible.”/PN
