Drilon to Iloilo City voters: Go for ‘triple J’, reject ‘triple G’
Liberal Party chair Senator Franklin Drilon raises the hands of candidates under what he called the "unity ticket" led by mayoralty bet Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and vice mayoralty bet City Councilor Julienne Baronda after the oath taking ceremony yesterday.Senator Franklin Drilon yesterday endorsed the “triple J” team for Iloilo City in next year’s election while he called on voters to reject the “triple G”.
“Triple J” referred to the team of Mayor Jerry Treñas, Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Councilor Julienne Baronda as congressman, mayor and vice mayor, respectively. “Triple G”, on the other hand, referred to guns, goons and gold.
Though it was clear that the senator referred “triple G” to the Gonzalez camp, he did not directly name them.
Presidential Legal Adviser Raul Gonzalez Sr. will run as city mayor while his son and namesake will seek reelection as congressman. Councilor Antonio Pesina is the group’s candidate for vice mayor. The Gonzalez line-up will run under the Lakas-CMD-Kampi party
“The intimidation on the barangay captains must be stopped. It is about time that we stand against this kind of politics that has brought down the city for the past years,” said Drilon.
“Iloilo City is tired of the kind of politics where massive vote buying and intimidation is evident. Let us stop all these political shenanigans and venture for politics of change. The politics of vengeance should be set aside and we should embark on the politics of performance,” Drilon added.
Drilon noted that there is not much change in terms of infrastructures in the city for the past nine years that the father was congressman and six years of his son’s turn in the lower house (referring to the Gonzalezes).
He even challenged the Gonzalezes, who claim political supremacy in Iloilo City, to pinpoint and name their projects in the city. Drilon recounted the major infrastructure projects he initiated to include the P6.5 billion Iloilo airport of international standard and P700 million worth of several other infrastructure projects in Iloilo City.
The senator was here yesterday for the oath taking rites of Mabilog as the official candidate of the Liberal Party for mayoralty race, incumbent Councilor Lyndon Acap and Atty. Rleonie Gerochi, two of the group’s candidates for councilors.
Drilon, LP’s chairperson, described yesterday’s event as “historic unity of various political parties” to include the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), PDP-Laban and Bayan Muna. It is a unity of all political parties except one party, he said.
Drilon has endorsed the “triple J” team although Treñas belongs to the Nacionalista Party and has his own candidates for vice mayor and city councilors.
Baronda, on the other hand, is with the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.
The group’s candidates for councilors except for Gerochi and Acap are also with different political parties. Former Councilor-lawyer Joshua Alim is with the PDP-Laban; former Councilor Erlinda Liberiaga, broadcaster Rodel Fullon Agado and Atty. Plaridel Nava are with the PMP, and activist Jory Porquia is with the Bayan Muna.
