Fourth district Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez has been declared persona non grata by Cebu’s leaders over her claim that there was cheating in last year’s elections in Cebu.

The manifesto was signed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Robert Go, Provincial Board members, mayors, vice mayors and some councilors.

Martinez told Sun.Star Cebu “Ang mobarug sa katungod sa mga Cebuanos mao na hinuo’y persona non grata? Si Gwen, ang tikasan, dili persona non grata? Unsa na ni, nabali na ang kalibutan (The one who stands up for the rights of the Cebuanos is now persona non grata? Gwen, the cheat, is not persona non grata? What’s the world coming to)?”

Sun.Star Cebu reports:

Former governor Pablo Garcia, for his part, said there is no need for all this fuss about taped conversations, because the election returns submitted to Comelec were the same ones that the opposition received.

“The opposition knows the truth, they just refuse to see the truth…Ang kahapdus sa kapildihan usahay makausab sa maayong pangisip (The pain of defeat sometimes affects the soundness of mind),” said Pablo.

Martinez is questioning Gov. Gwen Garcia’s victory in the last elections. In the process, she also puts into question President Arroyo’s victory, by a hug margin, in Cebu.

It is good to investigate whether there was cheating in Cebu during the last elections to finally settle the question. People, however, should bear in mind that most of the candidates who ran last year supported President Arroyo. The three candidates for governor, including Martinez’s husband, all supported President Arroyo. This was unprecedented. It isn’t much of a surprise then that she handily won in the province.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña is more blunt. The Freeman reports:

Osmeña said what made Arroyo win was deep sense of values of the Cebuanos. The Cebuanos, he said, will never let an actor win. He cited the case of former president Joseph Estrada, who never won an election in Cebu.

“We have all the right to be angry. First, we are being treated as second class citizens. Now we are called cheaters. If they want a fight, tell them Mayor Tomas Osmeña is longing for a fight,“ Osmeña said.