Estrada has no bet in 1st district

CEBU, Philippines - Presidential candidate and former President Joseph Estrada yesterday denied that his political party has a candidate in the first congressional district, saying that they are supporting only three districts in Cebu and the first is not among them.

Estrada’s denial came after Luna Sabalones, 53, who claims to be the official bet of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) in the first district, alleged that at least seven men purportedly from the party tricked her into investing P3 million supposed campaign funds to the party.

The former president in an interview with the media at the Waterfront Hotel where he and his senatorial candidates hosted a press conference, said that it was he who has not heard of Sabalones’ name, and that if she was part of the PMP, they should have kept in touch with her during the four-day campaign sorties they had in the Visayas.

“No, this is the first time I heard of her name,” Estrada said, when asked if she knew about Sabalones.

His campaign chief, former Senator Ernesto Maceda, echoed Estrada’s statement, and added he believes it was “planted intrigue.”

“Who is the candidate who would entertain something like that? Definitely a no-no,” Maceda said.

Maceda said they are fielding candidates only in the fourth and fifth congressional districts and one in the lone district of Lapu-Lapu.

Sabalones, who claimed that she lost P4 million to swindlers, recently buzzed the media to report of the alleged incident.

Sabalones is running against another first congressional representative wannabe, Felipe Concepcion, and incumbent Congressman Eduardo Gullas.

According to her, a certain Eddiemar “Boy” Bulanon, Annita Padilla, Jun “Professor” Tagalog, and Olong-olong Fernando and three other unidentified men took her P3 million.

Sabalones, who used to operate a beach resort and a vocational school in her town, also alleged that Bulanon was introduced to her by one Teodolfo Cañas, a Baptist Church pastor, who is also apparently her mayor in San Fernando, as the latter is running under the PMP ticket.

Reportedly, Sabalones met these people last year, but they had only approached her last February, upon which they allegedly offered to increase her campaign funds.

According to her, she met them again from Feb. 8 to 13 in Manila where she handed them the money in P1,000 bills.

It was also allegedly in that meeting when these people had also given her the promised doubled amount, which was purportedly in several bundles wrapped with adhesive tape and placed inside a bag. The counterfeit money was reportedly for the use of her campaign.

She was reportedly told to delay the opening of the bag until the 24 hours had elapsed.

She said that it was only when she and her brother Jun, who accompanied her, arrived in Cebu City when they discovered that the wrapped “money” were bundles of white paper in the size of peso bills.

She then reported the matter to the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) to help her recover her money.

For his part, Nonoy Reluya, husband and consultant of San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya, only smirked when asked to comment on Sabalones’ claims, saying that they had prior experience with her, in which she had accused them of stealing her P3 million. -  THE FREEMAN