LIBERAL PARTY PRESS STATEMENT...BAW, MALUOY KA MAN SA ILA TOTO BOOOOOYYYYY.....HUSTO NA INA.....NAGA WAWAW NA SILA HO.... Press Statement: Iloilo leaders air concern over smear campaign vs Iloilo Convention Center Local leaders in Iloilo today expressed concerns that the relentless attacks against the construction of the yet-to-be-completed Iloilo Convention Center could endanger Iloilo’s growth and economic progress. Iloilo City Representative Jerry Trenas, along with Iloilo 2nd district Representative Arcadio Gorriceta and Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog, made an appeal to the members of the opposition “not to block the significant growth” the Iloilo is now experiencing because of the various development and infrastructure projects made possible under the term of President Aquino. “We are appealing to the opposition to spare Iloilo from all these political bickering. We have made enough progress in the past years due to the intervention of our Ilonggo leader, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon,” said Mabilog, a candidate for the 2014 World Mayor Prize. “The establishment of the Iloilo Convention Center will be the realization of our dream to recapture Iloilo’s premier position as the ‘Queen City of the South,” he emphasized. “We have envisioned the Iloilo Convention Center to help in the rapidly growing tourism industry in the city. Its design truly speaks of the culture of the entire island of Western Visayas. It will be a one-of-a-kind convention center which will bring Iloilo once again to the spotlight,” added Mabilog. Trenas, deputy chair of the Liberal Party Visayas bloc, said that the government support towards infrastructure development, which was made possible through Drilon, brought about growth and progress in the province. “The Iloilo has been chosen to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings in 2015 because of the significant achievements Iloilo has undertaken for the past years, with the assistance from the national government,” pointed out Trenas. “It is unfortunate, however, that these developments could anytime be reversed because of the malicious and baseless allegations regarding the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center,” he added. Trenas also called on his fellow Ilonggos to unite behind Drilon and President Aquino’s Cabinet officials who were also victimized by an apparent smear campaign launched by the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay to divert the public attention from the allegations of ill-wealth against the Binays being investigated upon by the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee. For his part, Gorriceta, who was then mayor of Pavia, an award-winning town in terms of good governance, said he could vow for the integrity of Drilon whom he has known for a very long time. He said the allegations being hurled against him are unsubstantiated and malicious. “It is only now, under the term or President Aquno, that the Iloilo Province has received national supports through the help of Drilon. We are still catching up, but these malicious allegations against the Iloilo Convention Center might spoil the progress we are about to experience in Iloilo,” said Gorriceta, as he called on Drilon’s critics to refrain from manufacturing evidence and spreading lies regarding the Iloilo Convention Center. Earlier, Trenas, along with LP Secretary General and Western Samar 1st District Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, former Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone questioned the timing of the graft charges made against President Aquino’s allies, saying that “it could be part of a diversionary tactic launched by UNA to divert the attention away from the Senate Blue Ribbon investigation into unexplained Binay fortunes. Tanada said that the sudden interest by UNA on the issue, maybe meant to sideline the investigations against Binay in the upper chamber. Evardone, for his part, asked the public not to fall “for this latest squid tactic being orchestrated by the Binay camp.” “We are confident however that the public will not fall for this attempt to manipulate public opinion in order to protect the deteriorating political fortunes of Vice President Binay,” Evardone said. “These spurious fabrications should not shield the Vice President from the real issue: his unexplained refusal to answer the charges against him before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee.” - END
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 13:32:52 +0000