‘But the real question at the Easter press con that no one was ready to answer was why gang up on the second-leading presidential candidate, instead of the frontrunner?’
ISKO Moreno and Ping Lacson badly lack the numbers, which will not likely improve as the elections draw near.
Moreno’s reaction after being asked to quit the race by the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo was to lash out at her and call on her to withdraw. Lacson was also adamant on why voters should be limited to choose from just two candidates, in this case Bongbong Marcos and Robredo. Logic escapes him — tail enders like Lacson don’t longer stand a chance and are practically out of the race.
Does Moreno really believe what he claims, which is idiotic naivety, that he or any other presidential bets would be able to defeat Bongbong Marcos by the dispersed numbers of Robredo’s followers switching loyalties to a field of three aspirants in case she backs out?
No one really believes Moreno’s claim that the huge number of participants in Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan’s rallies had mostly been blown up. Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla once claimed that the reported figure of 47,000 Leni-Kiko rallyists had been bloated and could not possibly fit the venue in Gen. Trias. And yet when Marcos held a rally at the same place, Remulla claimed a higher attendance but did not say how all the rallyists managed to squeeze into that place.
Lacson warned that a Marcos victory would trigger destabilization moves, but did not mention that the cause of any upheaval, as the opposition has repeatedly warned, would be the widespread cheating allegedly by the Marcos camp.
But the real question at the Easter press con that no one was ready to answer was why gang up on the second-leading presidential candidate, instead of the frontrunner? And it seems more obvious than ever that Moreno appears to be a stooge of Marcos and an attack dog of Malacanang against Robredo and the opposition.
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A congressional candidate in Quezon City is primed up with probably countless of millions of pesos, the reason why he allegedly has barangay officials in about 20 barangays in his pocket. Barangay captains not only in Quezon City but in the rest of Metro Manila have been enriching themselves in office and the incumbent mayors would rather look the other way.
This popular candidate in QC has been allegedly giving out P25,000 a month to the barangay captains since late last year in preparation for his congressional run. The common money-making venture of barangay chiefs comes from the so-called SOP which many know to be commissions — amounting to as much as 30 to 40 percent — from government projects in their respective localities. Some have brought houses and lots in Antipolo and Tanay while most drive around in two or three SUVs.
Former office staff in three barangays in Quezon City say it would be very difficult to prove the prevailing corruption that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the officials since their tracks have been effectively covered by a “proper” but fraudulent paper trail. It’s reportedly an open secret at the DILG that many barangay captains have made a killing during the pandemic from government contractors offering COVID-19 medicines, face masks, face shields and protective equipment.