I’m not afraid, I won’t resign, says Antique gov

SAN JOSE, Antique — "I am not afraid...because I will not resign. I did not do anything wrong."

This was the firm reply of Antique Gov. Salvacion "Sally’ Zaldivar-Perez to the dare of Rep. Exequiel Javier for her to quit until December or "we will recall her."

In an indignation rally at the provincial capitol last week, Javier called on Antiqueños to support the mayors’ initiative to seek Perez’s resignation. About 2,000 people joined the rally.

"If she refuses to resign, we will recall her. If we cannot stop her now, the future of Antique will be in conflict, especially in the elections of 2004," Javier said.

"Listen to the voice of the people, the mayors and the barangay captains," he said, adding there is "no room for compromise."

But Perez, who served as undersecretary of the Office of the Legislative Liaison Office during the Estrada administration, said not all 18 mayors of Antique are supporting Perez’s call for her to resign.

"Don’t say 18 mayors. My goodness, that is not true. This is part of the black propaganda of Congressman Javier and his henchmen to destabilize my government," she said.

She said Perez’s group is just confusing the media in Iloilo and Antique, and that she is confident this will not last long.

Perez identified Mayor Christopher Picio of Belison town as one of Perez’s supporters who spearheaded last week’s indignation rally.

"I know Picio led the crowd. I remember that I scolded him because he lied to me during our conference. He fooled me," she said.

Perez said Antiqueños are now angry because of what the group of Javier and Picio has been doing, claiming that those who attended the indignation rally were fed stories to goad them into joining the protest action.

"I received reports that the reason why they joined the rally is because the husband of the President, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, would be arriving in San Jose, the provincial capitol," she said.

Other people, she added, went to this town to rally against the purchased power adjustment (PPA).

Perez said she is not the problem but Javier, the province’s former governor. "I am not afraid that they are pushing for a recall signature campaign because I will not resign," she said.

"They are not destroying me right now. What they are destroying is the province of Antique. For the sake of the province, I am willing to sit down with and talk to Javier and tell him to stop destroying me and instead, talk about what is good for the province," she said.

Perez said she feels and thinks she is doing right and the best for Antique.