Lito Ruiz defends wife's decision to join Villar's NP

CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-Lapu City congressional candidate Lito Ruiz broke his silence to defend his wife, Rep. and Mandaue City mayoralty candidate Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, who has been accused of being a traitor to her former political party.

As the campaign period for local candidates kicked off recently, the congresswoman shifted party affiliation from Lakas-Kampi-CMD and One Cebu party to the Nacionalista Party of presidential candidate Manny Villar.

Rep. Ruiz promised last year to deliver for presidential candidate of the administration Gilbert Teodoro the same vote margin that President Gloria Arroyo acquired in Cebu in 2004.

"It was divine intervention and a family decision," Lito said, in a press conference yesterday afternoon held in one of the beach resorts in Lapu-Lapu City.

Lito Ruiz said he has been persuading his wife to get out of Lakas considering that his opponent in Lapu-Lapu is with Lakas, the very same party she belongs to.

"Dili ba sulikmaot kaayo nga naa siya sa kang Gibo unya ang akong kontra nga si Radaza naa mi-supporta usab kang Gibo," Lito said.

It has been alleged that the congresswoman ditched her former party in favor of the Nacionalista Party for economic reasons.

"Wala man mi nanagan tungod sa kwarta. In fact, nanagan mi bisan wala'y kwarta. Bisan unsa na lang gyud ang gipahid nila sa akong asawa. Bahala na lang gyud ang Ginoo nila," Lito said.

Mandaue City Vice mayor Carlo Fortuna and 10 candidates for councillor have also joined the Nacionalista Party.   (FREEMAN NEWS)