[] Contenders in 2028 race, of course, most likely will include titleholder Governor Pam Baricuatro – and, possibly, a come-backing, can’t-be-ruled-out-yet Gwen Garcia herself.
[] Former third-district congressman PJ tells broadcaster Jason Monteclar in an interview he’s still making consultations across the province whether to run for governor again in the next election.
[] Interesting possibilities: A scramble that may take members of the same family to opposing sides.
FORMER third-district congressman Pablo John “PJ” Garcia said he has been visiting the towns and component cities of Cebu Province to make “consultations” on whether to run for governor in the 2028 election.
On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the “Not So Late Night Show with Jason Monteclar” released a video interview with PJ Garcia. The interview provided glimpses of possible contenders for the top Capitol seat, with PJ’s plans as lead-off, including possible face-offs with a congressman backed by his sister Gwen and another congressman who married PJ’s niece.
A few takeaways from the Jason Monteclar broadcast:
PJ Garcia has not yet decided to run but has decided to find out whether he should. And he has been doing the rounds across Cebu Province, conducting a survey of sorts, the “meet and greet” kind most politicians do before filing their COC or certificate of candidacy.
Not a waste of time. It will test the waters and ascertain viability of jumping in. It can serve as initial exposure to the voters, if a candidate pushes through his plan, without violating any rule against premature campaigning.
Not taken up in the interview, but safe for Capitol watchers or anyone else to assume, is that the incumbent governor will seek reelection.
Baricuatro pulled a David-over-Goliath feat when she took down multiple-termer giant of a Cebu politician Gwen Garcia in the 2025 election (besting her with 1,107,924 votes over 765,051 votes, or a plurality of about 342,000).
Gwen might want to prove the 2025 Pam win was a fluke or a fraud and that would mean a return bout. Recent propaganda in social media platforms aim to discredit Guv Pam with comparative performances. And Pam returns fire.
Ex-Cong Garcia told Jason Monteclar he learned from one source he trusts -- but no confirmation yet from Gwen or another “independent” source -- that his sister, the former governor, would support Sonny Lagon.
(Lagon, an Ako Bisaya party-list congressman since 2019 who “owns an engineering firm and a massive game fowl farm.” His wife, Daphne Lagon, is congresswoman from Cebu’s sixth district, and two sons (twins Larenz and Lorenz) are Cebu Provincial Board members and a third son, Dason Patric, is a Cordova, Cebu councilor.)
Why is Gwen not supporting her brod PJ, Jason asked, “What bad thing has she seen (“nakit-ang dili mao)” that made her throw voting base and resources to Lagon instead?
Gwen supported PJ in his first run for governor in 2013 under the family’s One Cebu Party. PJ lost to Hilario “Junjun” Davide III (who got 56.09% or 614,389 votes against PJ’s 40.98% or 448,826 votes).
PJ said he’ll accept Gwen’s choice of Lagon. It’s “not usual but not impossible,” he said, that members of the same family don’t agree on political preferences or plans.
In a talk with Lagon, Lagon asked if PJ “would have another alternative,” which Garcia and Monteclar took to mean Sonny was asking him, "don’t run."
With the support of Gwen Garcia to Sonny Lagon, PJ said he could now answer people’s questions -- about possibly running against his sister – by citing her stand.
Meaning, PJ wouldn’t run if Gwen would run.
PJ didn’t say though, and he was not asked, whether categorically he’d still run if Gwen would only support Lagon and would not herself be a candidate. Or does everyone assume that to PJ, having separately declared he was “seriously” considering the Capitol bid, it’s already a “go”?
The two siblings would be in effect still on opposite sides (“kaatbang gihapon”) even if Gwen would limit herself to campaigning for Sonny Lagon and not be a candidate.
Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco of Cebu’s fifth district, one of the 14 deputy speakers in the House (along with Trade Union Congress, party-list congressman Raymond Mendoza), is Gwen’s son-in-law, having married her daughter, former tourism secretary Christina G. Frasco. Duke also has also plans to run for governor, PJ told Monteclar in the interview.
If Frasco would run, he’d be facing on the enemies’ side
PJ (brother of Duke’s mother-in-law and Duke’s wife’s uncle) and Lagon (choice of Gwen whom she’d expectedly push and defend during the campaign).
Still “entre familia,” with the conflict of plans and choices in politics “not usual but not impossible.”
PJ said he had learned that, when asked about the potential squabble within the Garcia clan in the next election, Duke Frasco allegedly retorted: “Di man ko Garcia.”
PJ conceded the “division” within One Cebu Party, which Gwen founded and on which she mostly sailed through 15 years across five terms as governor (2004 to 2013; 2019 to 2025) and two terms as third-district congresswoman (2013 to 2019).
There are cracks, PJ said, “One Cebu is medyo not as united as before.” If he’d run, he said, he’d seek “a coalition of forces” among the Dutertes and non-Dutertes. If they wouldn’t unite, they couldn’t compete (“dili makabangga”) with Capitol.