Abalos rival denied motorcade permit; City Hall explains

The Mandaluyong City government has denied the request of a candidate running against Mayor Benhur Abalos to hold a motorcade supposedly scheduled for Sunday.

City Hall officials, however, maintained in a press conference late Saturday that politics had nothing to do with the denial of the request from Vice Mayor Danilo de Guzman, who is running against Abalos under the Aksyon Demokratiko party.

Jimmy Isidro, the city’s public information officer, said the permit was denied on Friday because in De Guzman’s letter of request dated March 7, he said the motorcade to be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on March 10 would be for the senatorial candidates of Team PNoy, with Aksyon Demokratiko just providing support to the activity.

City administrator Ting Victorino, meanwhile, said Sen. Franklin Drilon, the Liberal Party’s campaign manager, had denied Aksyon Demokratiko’s representation in the group.

Isidro said Drilon issued the denial in a letter earlier sent to Rep. Neptali Gonzalez, chair of the LP chapter in Mandaluyong. Copies of the letter were given to reporters.

“There was some sort of deception involved,” Isidro said, noting that De Guzman’s party had not fielded senatorial candidates.

But if De Guzman would make another request well within the campaign period for local candidates which starts on March 29, he said he finds no reason to deny him a permit.