Former Solicitor General Florin “Pilo” Hilbay. Photo by RYAN LEAGOGO / INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Honesty has to be an issue, not only in the May 2019 elections, but in all aspects of life, former solicitor general and now senatorial candidate Florin Hilbay said Thursday.
Hilbay issued the remark after Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) chair and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that “honesty should not be an issue” in the May 2019 elections.
“It has to be. In all aspects of life. Whether in public life, whether private life,” Hilbay said in an interview over ABS CBN News Channel.
“Ayaw mo ng kaibigan na nagsisinungaling sayo, ayaw mo lalo ng kandidato na babayaran mo bilang isang public servant na nagsisinungaling sa’yo,” he added.
(You don’t want a friend who’s telling lies at you, more so you don’t want a candidate that you would pay for being a public servant who will tell lies at you.)
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Duterte-Carpio issued the statement while accusing Hilbay’s fellow Otso Diretso candidate Gary Alejano of lying.
READ: Sara Duterte: Alejano lying on accusation vs Bong Go
Hilbay’s reaction came after former presidential aide Bong Go reportedly used public funds for his campaign. The same issue about lying is currently plaguing Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos concerning her college degree.
“Ang sabi nila, the issue is not about [a] college degree but honesty. So ano gagawin natin sa kanila tulad nila (Gary) Alejano, nagsisinungaling — wala naman siyang proof na galing sa public funds ang T-shirt (ni Bong Go),” Duterte-Carpio said.
However, Hilbay said that Alejano’s claim is a “fact-based allegation,” and if proven true, “an election offense, very clearly.”
“Si Gary (Alejano) is making a fact-based allegation about the misuse of public funds,” he said.
“Meron siyang pinakitang mga photos [he showed some photos], merong backgrounder about his allegations and his allegation, if true, would be an election offense, very clearly,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said, Marcos’ claim is “falsifiable” since the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law and Princeton University have already clarified that the governor did not graduate from these institutions.
“These (UP and Princeton) are official degree-holding bodies na nagsabi na hindi totoo yung sinasabi nya (Marcos),” Hilbay said.
“Yet si Governor Imee Marcos, binaon nya pa yung sarili nya at ini-insist nya pa rin na talagang graduate siya ng UP. I think that’s clearly falsifiable, in a negative way,” he added.
(Governor Imee Marcos has placed herself in a deeper situation and still insisting she’s a graduate of UP.) /jpv