ROXAS CITY, Philippines -- Controversial former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante said broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas should not meddling in local politics and stop acting like a "queen" of Capiz.
Bolante, who has expressed intention to run for governor in Capiz under his local party Ugyon Kita Capiz, said Sanchez-Roxas did not know anything about the local political dynamics and should stay out of it.
Bolante was reacting to a statement made by Sanchez-Roxas in a forum in Dumarao town on Nov. 17 where she told Capiceños to support the chosen candidates of her husband and Liberal Party’s vice presidential bet, Senator Mar Roxas, and not those with records of corruption and those who have been investigated by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
In his blocktime radio program over RMN-DyVR Saturday, Bolante said Sanchez-Roxas was not a "credible" person to castigate former Roxas allies because she was new to the Roxas family.
"Delicadeza dictates that she should stay away from these problems especially that the persons involved were related to the Roxases," Bolante said.
Bolante said Korina did not fully know and understand the facts and circumstances surrounding the politics in Capiz.
"Korina is new in Capiz. She is not Capiceño by blood. Kinahanglan bala nga mag pa reyna-reyna siya sa Capiz? (Is it necessary for her to act like a queen in Capiz?) How dare a non-Capiceño tell the Capiceños what to do," Bolante said.
During the public dialogue in Dumarao town on Nov. 17 hosted by the local
Liberal Party leaders, Korina asked Capiceños to support the chosen candidates of her husband and not those who have been accused of corruption before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
She also lamented that some of Roxas’ allies whose political careers had been supported for a long time by the Roxases had jumped ship and joined a man with record of corruption.
Korina was apparently referring to Bolante who was grilled during the Senate investigation on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.
Roxas was one of the senators who grilled Bolante during the Senate investigation of the P728 million fertilizer fund scam that the former agriculture official allegedly orchestrated.
Bolante, a native of Capiz, insisted he had nothing to do with the fertilizer fund scam and had said that one of the reasons why he joined local politics was to submit himself to the judgement of Capiceños in the 2010 elections.
Two of the more prominent Roxas local allies, Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo and Vice Gov. Felipe Barredo, have joined Bolante.