Leonardia denies junking partymate Sayson

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Incumbent Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who won in his congressional bid in the May 2013 elections, has denied rumors he junked his partymate, incumbent Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus "Thaddy" Sayson, who ran for mayor but lost.

Leonardia, standard bearer of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC)-Grupo Progreso (GP), was rumored to have junked Sayson on the eve of Election Day, in favor of Sayson's opponent, Monico Puentevella, a former Bacolod congressman who was Leonardia's opponent in the mayoralty race in the May 2010 elections.

In a press conference Thursday, Leonardia explained that the alleged junking could not have happened because,  based on figures, 96 percent of the voters who voted for him also voted for Sayson.

"It is not in my character to drop a fellow. Let the figures speak for themselves: 94,000 plus voters voted for me and 90,000 plus voted for Thaddy. In the last election, Thaddy got 88,000 votes and what he got now even improved his standing," Leonardia told the local media.

"What is even more questionable is the difference between the votes of mayor-elect Puentevella and his running mate Vladimir Gonzalez because the former got 105,000 votes while the latter only got 60,000 plus votes," he said.

Leonardia said the text messages being circulated accusing him of junking Sayson were character assassination. "Let lighting hit those who lie. There are quarters which cannot accept my victory and also by vice mayor-elect Greg Gasataya," he said, adding that the GP party is still a potent force for 2016 thus they used him as their target.

Sayson, for his part, said he has nothing to comment on the junking issue. (FREEMAN)