Alvarez admits fathering 8 children

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday admitted siring “many” children by different mothers, in the latest revelation in the issues involving him and his erstwhile ally and friend, Davao Del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr.

Alvarez admitted that he had eight children by three partners in a radio interview with radio station DZMM.

“Meron po, marami,” the speaker answered when asked if he had children out of wedlock.

Alvarez is currently embroiled in a controversy with Floirendo after he filed a graft complaint before the ombudsman against the latter allegedly because of an anomalous land deal between a company owned by Floirendo’s family and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Floirendo’s girlfriend, Cathy Binag, said in a statement that the problem between her partner and the speaker started with her spat with the girlfriend of Alvarez, Jennifer Vicencio, last year. Binag, however, clarified that she is not sure if this spat is “correlated” with the graft charge with the ombudsman.

Alvarez also expressed readiness to face a disbarment case arising from his extramarital relationship.

“Wala tayong problema diyan. Oh, eh di, magpa-disbar. Hindi ko naman puwede sabihin na hindi totoo yang kuwento na yan. Di mag-file ng disbarment, walang problema. Sasagutin ko lang yan,” said Alvarez who last year severely criticized Sen. Leila De Lima for her affair with her driver Ronnie Dayan.

“Yung pagka-babae, ito ang tanong ko sa kanila: Bakit hindi nila kinonsider yung asawa ni Ronnie Dayan? Babae yun! Sa tingin ko siya yung agrabyado dito. Yung paggamit ng mga subordinates mo, di ba sexual harassment yun?” Alvarez said in defending the personal questions some congressmen asked during the House justice committee hearing on the proliferation of the illegal drugs trade at the national penitentiary.

Alvarez said that his eight children came from these relationships with several partners. 

“Hindi na po, hindi na po. Ganito kasi yun para hindi na kayo mahirapan. Noong first marriage ko, meron kaming dalawang anak. Sa second, apat tapos meron pa, dalawa,” he said.

The speaker also admitted that there was indeed an altercation between his girlfriend and Binag although he clarified that this was not the trigger for the filing of the graft charge.

“Ganito po yan, totoo po ang nangyari na iyan, pero hindi po totoo na yun ang nag-trigger sa pag-imbestiga natin sa kontrata. Malayo po yun. Yung isa, puwede nating pag-usapan sa parlor pero itong kontrata po, seryoso po dahil dito may pakinabang ang gobyero. Ito po ang kailangan nating pagtuunan ng pansin na wag ilihis ang totoong issue,” he said.

He also defended the timing of his case, saying that he was able to work on this case only in January because of the budget deliberations last year and the Christmas break that followed.

“Tama yon, dapat nating isipin na pagka nag-assume kami ng aming tungkulin bilang congressman ay naging busy po tayo sa paghanda ng ating budget for 2018 at ito po ay natapos noon lamang November tapos pagkatapos niyan ay Christmas Party tapos break tapos bumalik po tayo noong towards the end of January, doon po iyan. Sumulat na. At hindi naman po ganoon kadali ang pagbigay ng kopya,” he said.