Kiyu sees poll victory in team-up with Pepero

Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez expressed confidence yesterday over winning the Republican primary, saying his team-up with Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan assures victory for GOP in next year’s elections.

“We’re going to work for it. I feel that with my record, along with Pepero’s record, we’re going to make a better team,” he told in an interview, his first since Mr. Sablan announced his running mate two weeks ago.

The Pepero-Kiyu ticket is expected to face the team of CNMI representative to Washington Juan N. Babauta and Rep. Diego T. Benavente in the Republican primary to be held later or early next year.

Mr. Villagomez agreed to drop his intention to run for governor in the 2001 polls after he was approached by Mr. Sablan to be in his ticket. The deal was sealed last April 7, three days before the senator left for Hawaii to accompany his wife for a medical check-up.

As early last year, Mr. Villagomez had expressed intention to seek the highest elected post in the Commonwealth, although even then, some Republican supporters had urged him to give way to the two leading candidates.

He said he decided to align with Mr. Sablan to avoid a three-way race which could be damaging to the party. “If we only have two candidates in the Republican Party, we can win in the November 2001 elections,” added Mr. Villagomez.

He disclosed, however, that he received feelers that he was being considered as his running mate last March. “I took this long to decide because a second man doesn’t look for a first man,” he said.

Mr. Sablan formally announced his bid in the 2001 gubernatorial elections last February, but deferred naming of his running mate to April before the Easter holiday. The Babauta-Benavente team was divulged earlier in a move to get the Republican Party’s endorsement.
Mr. Villagomez, a former House speaker, failed in the 1993 GOP primary when he ran as lt. governor with Mr. Babauta. Then Gov. Larry
Guerrero won in that primary, but later lost out to the Democratic bet, Froilan C. Tenorio.

Asked what will be their chances in the forthcoming primary, he said his team-up with Mr. Sablan represents what will be best for the party.

“I’m more mature politically now than I was the first time I accepted the nomination,” said Mr. Villagomez.

Mr. Sablan, a former Senate President, ran under the GOP banner in 1997 with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio. He was elected to the Senate in 1989 and won a fresh four-year term in 1993.
Mr. Sablan served as Mr. Tenorio’s director of Commerce and Labor during his first two terms as governor in the 1980’s.

Mr. Tenorio, in an interview yesterday, declined to disclose who his choices are to become the top Republican candidates next year, saying only that “it’s up to the people” to decide.

Aside from Mr. Sablan and Mr. Babauta, others eyeing the gubernatorial post are Froilan and his former Lt. Gov., Jesus C. Borja, who both lost to Teno in 1997.