MALACAÑANG MAY HAVE paved the way for the conduct of peaceful elections in Leyte long before the first votes are cast.

Some candidates and their supporters feel they are already assured of victory on May 14. For them, it is all over but the voting and the counting of the ballots.

As early as February, lawyer Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who is running for representative in the first district in a coalition with reelectionist Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla, and former Rep. Alfred Romualdez Jr., who is seeking the Tacloban City mayoral seat, were said to have been assured by President Macapagal-Arroyo herself that they would win.

An INQUIRER source close to the Romualdezes, who does not want to be named, said the President called a meeting with the Petillas and the Romualdezes, the contesting political clans, in the evening of Feb. 10 in Malacañang. She was to convince them to agree to a power sharing arrangement in which their representatives would run for positions they were expected to win.

“President GMA believes this is the only way for the administration to win in the May 14 polls [in Leyte],” the supporter added.

Governor Petilla is running under the Lakas-CMD party. His mother, incumbent Rep. “Matin” Petilla, serves as the party’s provincial coordinator. She opted not to run for any post.

Martin Romualdez is Kampi coordinator for the province.

The source said the President was able to convince Congresswoman Petilla not to seek reelection in May and to give way for Martin to run for Congress in the first district. In turn, Jericho Petilla could seek reelection as governor without opposition from any Romualdez.

This was the agreement between the Romualdezes and the Petillas that night and until this time, the INQUIRER learned.

Congresswoman Petilla does not want to comment on the supposed sharing agreement. The INQUIRER tried to reach Martin Romualdez through his supporters but they refused to give his contact number.

Before the Feb. 10 meeting, Congresswoman Petilla was reportedly busy in her campaign and had asked friends and supporters to support her and her son’s reelection to their respective positions.

The Romualdezes, on the other hand, were bent on pushing their bids for Congress and in the Tacloban mayoral race.

The sharing arrangement relieved the Romualdezes, dismayed the Petillas, and alarmed many observers and critics who felt worried about the decisions made over and above the general electorate’s will.

For Martin and Alfred Romualdez, they feel relieved because they now have the assurance that, with the intervention of President Arroyo, a sure win is expected, the source said.

“The exclusion of [Congresswoman] Petilla in the congressional race in the first district of Leyte is considered an advantage for Martin, as he is now perceived as a sure winner,” another source, who requested anonymity, said.

Alfred was fielded in as Lakas-Kampi mayoral candidate for Tacloban. His opponent, Stephen Dan Palami of the Liberal Party, is running as an independent candidate.

“But even with Matin [Congresswoman Petilla] in the contest, Martin [Romualdez] will win as he is better than her. Besides, I believe that he can do more for the First District of Leyte,” a close Romualdez ally said.

But an insider of the Petilla camp disclosed that Matin [Petilla] was saddened by the move of Ms Arroyo, as she had really wanted to run for reelection.

“Of course, she was sad. But she can’t do anything as that was what the President wanted and expected her to do,” he said.

But the President’s move to choose Martin Romualdez over Matin Petilla was done in accordance with the expressed support of a greater number of mayors in the district who preferred to run under Kampi.

As early as December, seven of the eight mayors in the first district have pledged support for and loyalty to Martin Romualdez.

The last holdout, incumbent Mayor Roque Tiu of Tanauan town, who is seeking reelection, jumped to Martin’s bandwagon a week before the deadline of filing certificates of candidacy (CoCs) on March 29.

Whatever compelled the wannabes to switch party and loyalty affiliations to the Romualdezes is one reason that cannot be hidden. It is only because the clan has the money and the political machinery that can sustain them not only during the campaign but also on Election Day.

On the day Tiu was interviewed by the INQUIRER, he said, “I am the only one who stayed [in the Petilla camp]. I am running under Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla. I will never switch parties. I am staying no matter what.”

But on the last day of filing of the CoCs, Tiu lined up with Kampi.

“But no one can be sure as to who will win the May 14 polls in the district,” said lawyer Fiel Clemencio of the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party, who is Martin’s opponent in the race.

“No one can be sure if indeed Martin would win the elections until the results … are out,” he added.

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