Roi Vinzon denies giving way to Mikey Arroyo’s candidacy

MEXICO, Pampanga — Movie actor and vice gubernatorial candidate Roi Vinzon denied yesterday that he has backed out of the race after text messages spread throughout the province that he had given way to his rival, presidential son Mikey Arroyo.

"I will not give up. I think I can still beat him despite the huge resources that he seems to have," said Vinzon who is the running mate of gubernatorial bet Bacolor Mayor Ananias Canlas under the Nationalist People’s Coalition-Buklod Kapampangan party.

Vinzon, however, said, "It’s still about a month before the elections and anything can still happen." He declined to elaborate, but added, "While I am open to talks, I cannot compromise my political plans at the moment."

Mikey could not be immediately contacted for comment. He recently told The STAR that a survey showed that 90 percent of voters in three vote-rich towns in the second district were behind his candidacy.

Mikey said his father, First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo, and Vice Gov. Clayton Olalia are his campaign managers. The two, however, have never been seen in his campaign trail. Olalia dropped his re-election bid to give way to Mikey.

"I have no posters like Mikey’s, but people give me a warm reception whenever I go in Pampanga," Vinzon said, saying his townmates in Mexico are fully supporting him.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered a status quo in Mabalacat town after the Angeles City Regional Trial Court ordered Mayor Marino Morales to turn over his post to businessman Anthony Dee, his rival in the 1998 polls.

The court said a recount of contested ballots showed that Dee had won over Morales by some 2,000 votes.

The mayor, however, appealed the case to the Comelec, saying the court erroneously used as basis for its decision a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) report debunking his claims that the ballots were tampered with.

Dee, he said, did not even present the NBI report as evidence.

In another election-related development, Senior Superintendent Ismael Rafanan, provincial police director, said only the town of Mexico has been declared an election hot spot in Pampanga.

Since last year, at least 15 people have been killed in Mexico, mostly suspected members of the communist faction Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan.