PHIVIDEC Administrator Joseph Donato ‘Cid’ Bernedo confirmed receiving an invitation to participate in the upcoming midterm elections next year, shedding light on potential political intrigue in Cagayan de Oro.
Bernedo, alongside business tycoon Romeo ‘Nonong’ Jalosjos Sr. and Bernedo’s wife, Aimee Marcos, participated in Phividec’s groundbreaking ceremony for a housing project in Sta. Ana, Tagoloan.
During the event, reporters pressed Bernedo about his intentions for local office in Cagayan de Oro, prompting him to acknowledge receipt of an invitation from a local political figure.
He, however, declined to disclose the sender’s identity, citing illness that led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting.
“Naa’y formal invitation for a meeting,” he said. It just happened, he added, that he had the flu and that the said meeting was postponed.
Two-time mayoral candidate Jose Gabriel ‘Pompee’ Laviña denied sending an invitation letter to Bernedo.
“Wala ko’y letter (gi send). Wala ko’y contact sa iya. Si Moreno siguro na,” Laviña’s text message to Gold Star Daily reads.
Early last month, Laviña had declared he will run for mayor for the third time.
In a text message to Gold Star Daily, former City Mayor Oscar Moreno said he did not send the letter.
“Wala man,” Moreno’s succinct text message reads.
These two denials from prominent politicians in the city further add to the mystery of who exactly invited Bernedo to possibly throw in his hat for the mayoral race in the midterm elections, next year.
Meanwhile, Aimee Marcos, Bernedo’s wife and sister of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., dismissed the notion of her husband’s candidacy in Cagayan de Oro politics, emphasizing that the family had not discussed political aspirations.
Responding to inquiries about the Marcos family’s support for Bernedo, Marcos hinted at a tentative stance, indicating a willingness to heed any call for political involvement from her brother.
Bernedo, for his part, emphasized his commitment to public service, whether in his current capacity at Phividec or potentially in local politics, saying, “As long as it’s public service, it’s all good.”
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