Winnie says he’s only fighting “fair and square”

EUFROCINO “WINNIE” Codilla Jr. is happy. He is happy because he has triumphed on the first round of a disqualification case filed against his leading opponent, actor Richard Gomez, by an ally, former Libertad barangay chairman Ben Juntilla. He is also confident that the disqualification will be sustained in any Court that Gomez will go to.
In a telephone interview, Winnie said that he is satisfied with the Comelec ruling, adding that the Comelec commissioners really dwelt on the merits of the case. “We all know that Richard is not an Ormocanon, does not live in Ormoc and that the Comelec saw that”, he said in the vernacular.
He added that his lawyers have told him that since Gomez has been disqualified for lack of residency, it means that a valid Certificate of Candidacy has not been filed, so scenarios of a substitution by his wife Lucy can never be.
Winnie emphasized that they are only “righting a wrong” and twitted Gomez, saying that a person keen on becoming a lawmaker cannot even follow simple rules of the game.
“Gibarogan lang nako nga if mu-representar ka, dili ilad-ilaron ang tawo. Kun sa baraha a, i-plastar nato sa lamesa, dili tago-tagoan”, he added.
He also added that if only Richard had done it his brother’s way, there would have been no problem. Winnie said that Richard never made an effort to establish his residency, unlike his brother Elmer who is now mayor of Kananga, who bought a property there, built a house and stayed at the town when he planned to run for mayor way back in 2007.
That way, he said, Richard could have presented electric and telephone bills in his name, to bolster his claim that he intends to make Ormoc his domicile. “Wa na unta siya’y problema”, he said.
The Comelec resolution disqualifying Gomez was promulgated on Wednesday, February 17 and was anchored more on the actor’s not being able to prove his transfer of domicile.
The resolution was issued by the Comelec 1st division where an Ormocanon is a member, Atty. Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal. Larrazabal, son of former Leyte governor Adelina “Inday” Larrazabal who was also disqualified when she failed to prove that she was a resident of Kananga, took no part in the proceedings.
Goyo’s side
Goyo, in a message posted at the Facebook account Better Ormoc said, “Thank you for the query on why I inhibited in the disqualification case filed against candidate Richard Gomez. Three inconvertible facts necessitated that I take no part in the proceedings. First, my uncle, Mr Marcos “Mackoy” Larrazabal is running as Mayor of Ormoc under the party… and as official candidate of Mr. Gomez. Second, another uncle, incumbent Councilor Dudi Larrazabal is running under the party of Mr. Codilla. Third, my brother Emeterio Jr, who recently passed away, was a candidate for Councilor under Mr. Gomez. It is therefore incumbent upon me to inhibit from deciding a case that will inure to the benefit or detriment of ANY of my relatives. It goes beyond the law, common decency dictates that I do not favor, whether directly or indirectly, any of my relatives – regardless of their party affiliation. I hope that this will put the matter to rest. “
Meanwhile, Winnie also debunked rumors that his camp doled out millions to get a favorable decision. He said this was a claim that Gomez’s himself mentioned during a TV interview after news of his disqualification came out.
Winnie said that he also understands that Gomez is going to file a motion for reconsideration, which will be treated by the commissioners en banc, and added that was his right and that is due process at work. However, he expressed confidence that the negative ruling versus Gomez would be sustained by the commissioners because of the merits of the case, and even by the Supreme Court, where he is sure Gomez will elevate his case.
He added people don’t have to wait long because Comelec was dispatching pending cases lodged with the agency swiftly, because the elections is fast approaching. He added they have filed a motion with the Comelec to strike out the actor’s name from the Certified List of Candidates. He added this might not be acted upon immediately considering that Gomez is filing an MR.
Perjury case vs. Richard, Lucy
Winnie also clarified that the issue they raised against Gomez regarding his Community Tax Certificate is not an issue they raised at the Comelec but one that they would be using to file perjury against the actor, and even his wife Lucy.
He said that as if admitting the first CTC was indeed spurious, which he underscored was used by Gomez on his Certificate of Candidacy, the actor again got another CTC, this time paying P5,000. “I don’t know who Richard is getting his advise from, but he is digging his own grave”, Winnie said in the vernacular.
He said that they will use the CTC issue against Gomez on a perjury case they would be filing against him, and maybe include his wife Lucy. He warned that if company owners of products that Lucy is endorsing gets whiff of this anomaly, they might withdraw their contracts with her.
As for claims that he is afraid of Gomez’s popularity, Winnie pooh-poohed this saying that why should he be afraid of Gomez and partymates. “Wa man gani mi mahadlok niadto nga ngilngig to amo kontra, sa iya pa?”, he posed.
Winnie is apparently referring to their family’s going up against the Locsin and Larrazabal clans. In 1991, his father ran up against Ormoc Mayor Vicky Locsin and won. In 2001, his father again ran up against then Cong. Vicky Locsin and won. Winnie however, lost to former Cong. Carmelo Locsin for mayor of Ormoc in the same year, but the Codillas fast regained the post in 2007, with newbie Eric Codilla proclaimed mayor. Since then, the Codillas have routed their political foes, with a brother Elmer, winning as mayor of Kananga town.
Winnie also challenged Gomez to substantiate his claim that he is a drug lord. He said Gomez accused him of this during an anti-drugs forum at Matag-ob, and he has witnesses to prove this. He said that if he was a drug lord, he will not bother joining politics because it would be more lucrative for him.
Winnie’s priorities
Meanwhile, Winnie also took the chance to bare his priorities, once he wins as congressman of the fourth district. He said that his first priority would be to improve the educational institutions in the district, saying that if people would only care to go around, they would see how dilapidated the schools are and antiquated.
Second, he said, he is pushing for the construction of basic infrastructure projects like road concreting and the like. While he said his father was not able to make good of his promise to build his “Senator’s Highway” to concrete the road between Matag-ob and Palompon, he said the congressman has already replaced two dilapidated bridges that were already hazards to the riding public. Nonetheless, he said, he wants to pursue the project but “hinay-hinayon lang nato” because he knows it is a need of the people there.
Another priority area is health. He said he would want to replicate the “three-in-one” health center-cum-police station-cum barangay halls all over the towns that his brother, Ormoc Mayor Eric Codilla, has done for Ormoc. He lauded his brother’s initiative, saying it was a very useful and practical project, which also brought services to the people.
Winnie said that he doubts that Gomez and his partymates would win against their slate, saying that ever since it was the Codillas who ran the fourth district, people have seen a visible difference. In Palompon, he said, they always lost at the coastal areas but added he doubts if the Onates would win there again, saying that they had almost concreted all the roads there, provided electricity and water pumps.
Another big project, he said, that people in Ormoc, Kananga and Albuera should expect to be implemented soon, is the asphalt overlay of its highways. He also defended the reblocking an old but still sturdy road in Ipil, saying that it was necessary to pave the way for the asphalt overlay. He apologized for the delay of the implementation of the project, saying that they did not have control over the fund releases.
The congressional candidate also allowed the EV Mail to take a peek into his family life, saying he is aware that his opponents are still making a big issue out of his break-up with now Cebu governor Gwen Garcia.
Winnie said that his marriage with Gwen has long been annulled and that he now has another family.
“I am very happy with my family”, he said, and proudly said that one of his sons was an achiever at his school.  He has four kids with Marife namely, Cherry Ann “Cheche”, Charlie Angelo, Carlo Eufrocino and Christian Andrew.
He added that he also has a comfortable relationship with his children with Gov. Garcia. “We call each other, and everything’s okay”, he added.
“One thing I can say”, he said, “is that I do not have any children out of wedlock”, adding that he and Marife were legally married before they had kids. By L.M. Jimenea

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