Lanao mayor who bolted LP vows to charge Binay’s critics

PANTAO RAGAT, Lanao Del Norte – Just say when, and this warlord politician would charge the critics of Jejomar Binay.

This was the statement of Pantao Ragat mayor Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud, who openly vowed to fight and charge the critics of the candidate from the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

In her welcoming speech during Binay’s campaign rally at a public school here, Lantud said the present administration failed to uplift Mindanao from poverty.

“Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, our Lanao Del Norte and Pantao Ragat are very much neglected of their development because our national government has virtually forgotten us because we do not surrender to the sugarcoating and promises of the present administration,” Lantud said.

She said the corruption allegations against Binay when he was Makati mayor were baseless.

“Kami dito sa Lanao Del Norte at Pantao Ragat, ay handa sa lahat ng pagkakataon na ipagtanggol ang iyong sarili ang iyong pamilya at kamag-anak, lalo na ang iyong prinsipyo,” Lantud sais.

“Alam namin na ang mga paratang sa inyo sa Makati ay puro kasinungalingan. Walang katotohanan at walang basehan,” she added.

(We, here in Lanao Del Norte and Pantao Ragat, are ready at all times to defend you [Binay’s], your family and relatives, especially your principles.

We know that the accusations against you in Makati are utter lies. There is no truth to them and they are baseless.)

Binay was indicted by the Ombudsman for malversation, graft and falsification of public documents for the alleged rigging of the procurement for the design and construction of the P2.2 billion Makati car park building when he was mayor.

He was indicted with his son dismissed Makati mayor Junjun Binay, who on Friday was formally charged before the Sandiganbayan for graft and falsification of public documents.

READ: Junjun Binay charged with graft, document falsification over carpark building

The Ombudsman said it would file the charges against Binay after the end of his term owing to Binay’s immunity from suit as vice president.

Binay was also recommended to be charged for plunder by the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee which investigated the alleged kickbacks for Binay from graft-ridden infrastructure projects when he was mayor.

Binay has decried politics in a bid to derail his presidential bid, calling the Senate investigation a political inquisition.

Lantud said she would be willing to charge the critics of Binay – he should just say when.

She said Binay’s enemies are also her enemies as well.

“Tandaan po ninyo lahat ng inyong kalaban ay amin ding kalaban. Pakisabi lang sa amin kung kami ay susugod, kahit anong oras kami ay handang handang dito sa Lanao Del Norte,” she said.

(Keep in mind that your enemies are also our enemies. Just tell us when to attack and we are ready at any moment here in Lanao Del Norte.)

In his speech, Binay endorsed Lantud and said she is a capable leader to lead Lanao Del Norte.

Sought for his reaction that Lantud shifted allegiance from the LP to UNA, Binay only said: “Edi mananalo na kami dito (Then we shall win here).”

Binay then walked out when asked for his reaction about Sunday’s presidential debates at Capitol University in Cagayan De Oro city.

Surrounded by his security aides, Binay had been evasive from the media since the campaign started on Feb. 9.

An original member of the Liberal Party (LP), Dimaporo-Lantud is the daughter of the late Caromatan Mayor Sultan Naga Dimaporo.

She is also the niece of the late congressman Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, a known warlord in Mindanao.

She is running for the gubernatorial seat in Lanao Del Norte against Lanao Del Norte Rep. Imelda Dimaporo, the wife of Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo. Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo and Mayor Dimaporo-Lantud are cousins.

In an earlier statement sent by the Office of the Vice President, Lantud said she jumped from the LP to UNA after the administration party snubbed them in a meeting at the Balay headquarters in Cubao.

Lantud said she felt she did not belong when she last visited    the LP Balay headquarters in Cubao. She said the LP does not know how to practice debt of gratitude.

“Kahapon, naroon kami sa Balay, sa headquarters ng Liberal Party. Padaan-daan lang ‘yong mga tao na parang ‘di ka nila kilala. Lumalabas ‘yong totoong ugali ng mga taga-Liberal Party. Lumabas din ‘yong ugali nila na manggagamit sila ng tao. Ginamit nila kami since 2010 at 2013. Hindi sila marunong magbayad ng utang na loob,” she said.

(Yesterday, we were ther at the Balay, the LP headquarters. People just went by us, like they did not know who we were. The true colors of the Liberal Party surfaced. Their habit of using people came out. They had been using us since 2010 and 2013. They don’t know how to pay debt of gratitude.)

Dimaporo-Lantud said she no longer believed in President Benigno Aquino III’s “straight path” reform agenda or “Tuwid na Daan” even though she is an original LP member in Lanao Del Norte.

“Kami ang original na Liberal Party sa Lanao Del Norte. Narito kami ngayon sa party ni VP Binay dahil dito namin nakikita ‘yong mabuti at saka matuwid na landas,” Lantud said.

(We are the original Liberal Party in Lanao Del Norte. We are now here in the party of VP Binay because this is where we see the good and the straight path.) CDG