In Zambales, LP revolt provides Poe with new allies

AN ENTHUSIASTIC supporter waves as the convoy of presidential candidate Grace Poe passes by in one of the towns in Pangasinan province. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

IBA, ZAMBALES—Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas lost allies in the province after several LP candidates for mayor and provincial board members shifted allegiance to rival presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe.

In a manifesto signed on Thursday, nine LP candidates for mayor and seven LP candidates for provincial board members said they had “denounced” and “relinquished” their support for Roxas because, they said, he raised the hands of their political opponents in a recent sortie in the province.

On April 5, during the LP assembly in this capital town, Roxas and President Aquino endorsed the candidacy of reelectionist Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., one of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s most trusted officials.

Roxas also wooed votes for other candidates of Sulong Zambales, Ebdane’s party, some of them running against LP candidates.

The disgruntled candidates said they now preferred to support Poe because of her “pristine reputation.”

Signatories of the manifesto included LP mayoral candidates Rogelio Yap (Botolan), Wilfredo Pangan (Cabangan), Gilbert Hermoso (Candelaria), Resty Viloria (Castillejos), Ad Herbert Deloso (Iba), Juan Alvez (San Antonio), Milagros Guatlo (Palauig), Adonis Ramos (San Narciso), and Angel Maestre Jr. (Sta. Cruz).

The manifesto was also signed by LP candidates for board members in the second district: Saturnino Bactad, Jobert Fallorin, Eloisa Lat, William Mandilag, Eddie Misa, Reynaldo Tarongoy, and Raedag Villamin Jr.

The candidates said Roxas’ support for their rivals was a “brutal insult to our long-time, arduous crusade in seeking the ideal of daang matuwid (straight path) and a vicious mockery of our painful struggles and sacrifices.”

But they said they dropped Roxas “with a heavy heart.” “This is one path which, by our conscience and by divine beckoning, we cannot and we refuse to take,” they said in the manifesto.

According to Cheryl Deloso-Montalla, LP candidate for the second congressional district of Zambales, all official candidates were told not to attend Roxas’ campaign rally in the first week of April. “Apparently, [LP officials already] planned to endorse the non-LP candidates,” Montalla said in a text message on Saturday.

LP had not issued a certificate of nomination and acceptance for Montalla’s father, former Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso, long-time LP member who is running for governor.

Deloso is now running as an independent candidate against Ebdane and three other candidates.
Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon