Ex-Chief Justice Davide joins LP caravan

CEBU, Philippines - Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. officially joined the political arena by lambasting the opponents of his son during the Liberal Party’s kick off campaign rally in Bogo City.

Davide, who endorsed his son, Hilario “Junjun” Davide III, and LP’s slate, spoke of “candidates who cling to the opposition party and to their respective positions” despite issues against them.

Davide criticized third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia for joining his sister, suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in going around the Province to promote Capitol programs before her suspension.

“No decency. No propriety,” said Davide adding that Pablo John should stay in his district.

Davide said that Pablo John is using for his political advantage the distribution of cash assistance and funds to towns and barangays.

Davide also lambasted the leaders of the United National Alliance (UNA) for calling themselves ‘three kings.’

UNA is a coalition of parties led by Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile, former President Joseph Estrada and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“This is a democratic country. Ngano kings man sila? Kinsa man na sila na hari man ang itawag?” Davide said.

Davide added that Enrile’s participation in the martial law and Estrada’s conviction of plunder should already be strong basis to question their leadership.

These issues would sooner affect the leadership of Binay which was already shown when they chose to drop Garcia as one of their senatorial bets and fielded his daughter, Nancy Binay.

He also said that Garcia’s earlier pronouncement that she decided not to run for senate because she wanted to serve the province more was not true.

Davide revealed that Binay informed him before that they were dropping Garcia since she was not doing well in the surveys.

Davide said these again in the rally in Tuburan with the local bets and some of the party’s senatorial candidates.

Davide stressed that his move to endorse his son should not be taken against Junjun.

Pablo John earlier questioned the use of the photo of the former chief justice in Junjun’s campaign materials.

But Davide explained that Junjun is just assuring the people that he will maintain the brand of service of his father.

Vice gubernatorial bet and acting governor Agnes Magpale, during her speech, told the crowd that Capitol is facing financial problems because of Gwendolyn’s administration and that she has been trying to fix this since she assumed as the acting governor.

Liberal Party’s fourth district congressional bet Celestino “Tining” Martinez III is confident that gubernatorial bet Hilario Davide III and vice gubernatorial candidate Agnes Magpale will win in his district.

“If elections were to be held tomorrow, daug nana sila just like how they won the last time and even more,” Martinez said during

The 4-day campaign caravan of LP ended yesterday in Pinamungajan and is set to start again today in the southern part of Cebu.   — (FREEMAN)