LP stalwart on Duterte: All talk, no action

All talk, no action?

Liberal Party (LP) stalwart and Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice hit Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for failing to curb the rising crime in his city in spite of him boasting that Davao is one of the safest cities in the country.

“Papano magiging pinakatahimik kung no. 4 na pinakamaraming krimen ang Davao City? Hindi naman pwedeng nagsasalita ka lang na papatayin. Eh bakit kung sa dami ng pinatay, pang-apat pa rin sa dami ng krimen ang Davao City?” Erice told reporters at the LP headquarters in Quezon City.

The LP’s vice chair for political affairs said this amid reports that some LP allies ditched Roxas’ party to support Duterte in the next year’s general elections.

Erice showed the crime data for 2014 and it listed Davao City as the city having the fourth highest crime volume in the Philippines with 18,119 cases in a year.

Quezon City recorded the highest crime volume for last year with 40,433 cases. Next to QC is the city of Manila with 22,778 cases, and Zamboanga City with 19,089 cases.

“Kay Duterte, ang hype eh tahimik ang Mindanao, pero sa 2014 crime volume index, pang-apat ang Davao City sa pinakamaraming krimen sa bansa,” he added.

Erice said media in Davao City might be “afraid” to report crimes happening in Davao City.

“Baka takot lang magreport ang journalists. Sa Caloocan ang daming reports, pero pang 12 lang kami sa crime rate with 8,000 cases, compared to Davao City with 18,000 crimes,” he said.

Propaganda

Meanwhile, Erice downplayed reports that key LP allies in Mindanao have left the administration party to back Duterte in 2016 as merely “political propaganda.”

He said similar reports came out when Senator Grace Poe decided to run against Roxas for president.

“Nangyari na ‘yan before during announcement of Poe’s candidacy. Sabi noon, maraming mag-jump ship to Poe, pero wala naman. Ngayon, sinasabi nila lilipat, pero wala namang significant number or name,” he said.

LP officials in Mindanao crossed party lines to support Duterte, pointing out that there is rarely a Mindanaoan in the presidential race.

Those who have abandoned Roxas’ party are Davao del Norte governor and LP chair Rodolfo del Rosario and former Tagum City mayor Rey Uy. Del Rosario’s son Antonio Rafael is a close friend of Roxas.

Erice said if the LP members cannot stick to their oath and toe the party line, they should resign as LP officials.

Erice also hit Duterte’s indecisiveness, saying LP allies transferring to Duterte’s camp should make sure first if the tough-talking mayor is really decided to join the national elections.

“But again these are still loose talks. Nothing’s definite yet. Nasa kutson na sila, lilipat pa sila sa banig,” he said.