Baby Arenas: Fight vs. Syjuco not yet over
The group supporting the congressional bid of Ramoncito Arenas in the Second District of Iloilo will continue to campaign against Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) chief Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco even if the former will be totally disqualified.
“The fight does not end there,” said Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas in a press conference yesterday.
Arenas said, her son has filed a motion for reconsideration with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) relative to the cancellation of his candidacy for failure to meet the residency requirement.
“Who says we are not from here? We are original Ilonggos. We live in Guimaras, Pavia, Dingle and Zarraga. My children grew up here in Iloilo. There’s not a month that we’re not here... this is our second home,” said Arenas who spoke in behalf of his son who is in Manila.
Arenas said, she called the press conference in behalf of her son since the latter awaits for the hearing to be called by the Comelec relative to his motion for reconsideration.
Arenas said people were forced to make affidavits against her son. She said some of those who executed affidavits have retracted after knowing that they were used.
“They have used the Comelec to go against us,” said Arenas.
“The fight continues... the massive graft and corruption in the second district must be stopped,” Arenas added.
The press conference started with the discourse of Annie Geron, a former employee of TESDA, who have filed a string of administrative and criminal cases against Syjuco.
Also present during the press conference were former vice governor Roberto Armada, provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada, Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta, and several second district candidates supportive of Ramoncito Arenas.
Meanwhile, a “conscience call” was made yesterday by Syjuco in a statement issued in time with the press conference of Arenas.
Rallying constituents against what he called was a “conspiracy of lies” perpetuated in the district, Secretary Syjuco made direct attribution to mother and son team, 72 year-old Rosemarie “Baby A” Arenas and 48 year-old Ramon “Citoy Baby” Arenas.
“Ini nga mga tawo, nagapresentar sang ila kaugalingon nga sinsero sa ila handum nga mag serbisyo sa Segundo Distrito. Apang ang tanan nila nga gina-pa-suni, nasandig sa kabutigan kag pagpangtonto, bagay nga indi ko gid mapa-sug-tan, kay ini nagaguba sang moralidad kag nagalapak sang pagkatawo sang aton mga kasi-man-wa, ilabi na ang mga pamatan-on, nga sa sulod sang dose ka tuig,amon ni Congresswoman Judy Syjuco, ginhatagan sang Imbestment sa Edukasyon, indi lamang agud mangin skillful o may kinaadman,kundi ilabi sa tanan, —- agud maha-nas sa nagaka-i-go nga pamatasan o values kag character formation. Indi ini pisikal nga bagay apang pundasyon sang mayo nga pagpangabuhi kag pagka-tawo,” Secretary Syjuco said.
This as he raised questions on the insistence of the Arenases that “Citoy Baby” is a resident of Tubigan, Zarraga, Iloilo.
To note, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in an earlier Decision ordered the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of Arenas canceled.
“To the politicians in the Second District who will prostitute themselves in this wholesale conspiracy of lies, ginasiling ko sa inyo- our good pumuluyo will rise and condemn you as public prostitutes and they will never let you forget that,” he added. “Sa ngalan sang serbisyo publiko, kag bilang alagad sang banwa, handa ako mag-atubang sa mga pag-atake sang akon kontra sa akon personal nga pagka-tawo. Apang indi ko mabaton kag pagpasugtan nga ang akon pumuluyo ilabi na ang mga pa-ma-tan-on mangin biktima sang sini nga nga mga pag-pa-ta-lang kag kabutigan.”
