Magsaysay, Ebdane team up

After quitting the presidential race, former Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has opted to run for governor of Zambales after forming an alliance with the Magsaysay clan.

Ebdane will have for his vice-gubernatorial running mate, Jury Deloso, a political neophyte who is a nephew of the incumbent Gov. Amor Deloso.

Former Zambales governor Vicente Magsaysay confirmed the alliance with Ebdane, and the withdrawal of his daughter, Rose Lourdes Magsaysay-Crisostomo, from the gubernatorial race.

“This is the first time it happened in Zambales and maybe in Philippine politics,” Magsaysay said.

Magsaysay said that sacrifices have to be made and personal interest have to be set aside to pursue a common political goal of replacing Deloso.

“Ebdane now becomes the common candidate and popular choice of our supporters in Zambales,” Magsaysay said.

Ebdane’s son Omar said his father would be running under the Workers and Peasant Party, denying talk that he was secretly fielded by the administration party.

But Ebdane, through the Magsaysays, has obtained the support of eight out of 13 incumbent mayors who passed a resolution through the League of Municipal Mayors of Zambales supporting his candidacy.

The mayors also endorsed the re-election bid of first district Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, who is being pitted against former vice governor Anne Gordon, and the candidacy of the Magsaysay patriarch against Mayor James “Bong” Gordon of Olongapo City.

Ebdane is a native of Candelaria, Zambales and is married to the former Alma Cabanayan with whom he has three children.

He filed his certificate of candidacy for governor on Dec. 1, a few days after quitting the presidential race.

“This local boy is coming home,” he said in the farewell message he read before employees of the Public Works Department last month. by Joel E. Zurbano and Cecille Garcia - Manila Standard Today