FPJ defends Mayor Vi on rally permit

NASUGBU, Batangas — His partymates were up in arms but instead of joining them in condemning re-electionist Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos, Fernando Poe Jr. defended his showbiz colleague for her alleged refusal to grant the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) a permit to rally in the city.

Poe, the KNP’s standard bearer, said yesterday he believes Santos was also a victim of politics and that he bore no ill-feelings toward the mayor who was one of his leading ladies in the movies.

"Matagal ko na kilala si Vilma. Hindi siya ganun. Sa tingin ko, kasama yun sa pulitika. Siguro inipit nila si Vi. Gayunpaman, okay lang sa amin yun (I have known Vilma for a long time. She’s not like that. I think that’s part of politics. Perhaps, they pressured Vi. Nevertheless, that’s fine with us)," Poe said in a news conference at the White Cove Beach Resort here.

The KNP was set to hold simultaneous grand rallies in Batangas City and Lipa City last night.

Charito Apacible, former Nasugbu mayor and now KNP gubernatorial candidate, accused Santos’ husband, administration Sen. Ralph Recto, of meddling in city affairs after she had given a rally permit allowing the KNP to use the town plaza.

Apacible alleged that Recto called up the KNP’s Batangas coordinator to tell him that the plaza would be available for the rally as long as Poe and Ruben Umali, Santos’ rival in the mayoral race, would not come up the stage.

When the coordinator refused to enter into an agreement, the permit was revoked, Apacible claimed.

Apacible said movie producer Lily Monteverde was able to intercede for the KNP and convince Santos to re-issue a permit, but it was again revoked.

"Then we were told that they could not give us a permit because there was going to be a battle of the bands at the town plaza," Apacible told reporters.

Apacible said the KNP eventually found a private lot along the highway in Barangay Maraouy where the coalition would hold the grand rally.

But Santos explained that the KNP initially applied for a permit for an April 21 rally but suddenly changed it to April 22.

"They even used Mother Lily (Monteverde) and Manay Ichu (Maceda) for the change of date, but what could I do?" she said. "We offered April 28 but they refused."

Santos said she supports President Arroyo because of her party affiliation, "but my friendship with Ronnie is beyond politics."

"FPJ is a national figure. Huwag na nilang dalhin dito sa local politics ang mga intriga (They should not bring intrigues to local politics)," she said.