The possibility of defeated gubernatorial bet Conchita “Cheche” Toribio delos Reyes to be accepted by the Liberal Party (LP) is not just remote, but is close to impossibility.
This was the reaction issued by a national LP stalwart in Manila interviewed by The Chronicle last Friday.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Reyes will make a surprise announcement that she will be running again for governor, instead of congresswoman in the 3rd district. Propaganda materials are soon to be off the printing shops to trumpet her “second dream” to become the next governor. However, political analysts said this could just be a propaganda ploy to drumbeat support from party officials in Manila considering that next year will be a presidential and local election.
The ranking party official said that Ms. Reyes’ attempt to join LP will be dropped after local party officials in Bohol issue their “non-acceptance” stand as it is part of the party policy to consult local officials before anyone gets accepted in the fold of the Liberal Party.
It may be recalled that  de los Reyes, a former Carmen town mayor, run against Gov. Edgar Chatto during the 2013 elections where she lost with the biggest margin in Bohol’s gubernatorial  history  amounting to  more than 200,000 votes. Gov. Chatto is currently the LP provincial chairman.
The statement of the national LP official came after Reyes whose business operations are based in Cavite City sought the support and endorsement of former Cavite Gov.”Ayong” Maliksi to get accepted by the ruling LP. Ms. Reyes recently met with Maliksi who was recently appointed by Pres. Aquino to be chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) at the former’s residence in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Only recently, delos Reyes and Maliksi met with some Bohol town mayors in the presence of former Senator Panfilo Lacson who has started himself to be visible in some provinces, an indication of his intention to become one of the 2016 presidentiables.
Reyes’ wanting to join the LP is a prelude to her official declaration to run for congresswoman in the 3rd district.
The defeated gubernatorial bet got the advice from her political handlers to try her luck joining the ruling party considering that incumbent 3rd district Rep. Art Yap is not in “good graces” in the ruling party national leadership because of his close affiliation with former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Rep. Yap will be running for his last term next year. The solon issued no reaction so far on Reyes’ pronouncement to run against him in the 2016 elections. However, Yap confirmed that he noticed the movement of the former Carmen mayor in his district during the past six months.
It may be noted that during the last national convention of the League of Municipalities of the Phils (LMP) in Manila, de los Reyes did not only host the third district mayors in a fellowship meeting but reportedly  gave each a P20,000 pocket money.
A highly placed source told The Chronicle that in her town sorties, delos Reyes allegedly  gives P5,000 cash to each barangay captain she visits with the assurance of flowing cash benefits up to election day next year. In fact, fiesta posters of Reyes are visible in towns and barangays in the third district.
The latest switch of affiliation to the group of Lacson and Maliksi came even as de los Reyes is a known supporter of Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay. In fact, delos Reyes earlier brought some Bohol mayors to a courtesy call to VP Binay in Makati City.
Delos Reyes and the vice president were introduced by former Mayor Dan Lim who became the political handler of delos Reyes in the 2013 polls where the former Carmen lady mayor was defeated by re-electionist Gov. Chatto with a margin said to be the biggest so far in local politics.