(UPDATE) Ex-Gov to Rectos: Surrender Ricky!
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/21/2009 12:39 PM
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MANILA - Former Batangas governor Armand Sanchez on Saturday warned the Liberal Party (LP) against a possible problem with its new members, incumbent governor Vilma Santos and former socioeconomic secretary Ralph Recto.
Sanchez said the LP, which is projecting a clean image, might draw flak for having members related to a murder suspect.
The former governor said that before Recto formally launches his campaign for his re-election to the Senate, he should first surrender his older brother, Ricky Recto.
"Maaapektuhan sila sa Liberal Party. Sa eleksyon, lalabas at babatikusin sila, 'Kapatid ba yan ng nagtatago?'," Sanchez said. "Mas makakatulong kung isu-surrender ang kanilang kapatid."
He said it would be impossible for Recto not to know where his brother is hiding.
In response, Mr. Recto said in a text message: "I am not my brother's keeper. Never have been."
Sanchez has offered a bounty for the arrest of the older Recto, who is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 2006 bombing attack on Sanchez.
The former governor survived the attack, but his driver Luisito Icaro and close-in security Police Officer 2 Eric Landicho died.
The older Recto is facing charges of double murder, frustrated murder and destruction of property.
The former secretary has been included in the LP's senatorial slate. Santos, meanwhile, is the LP's bet in the gubernatorial race in Batangas.
Sanchez, a former member of President Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino, confirmed that he is running for governor of Batangas again under the Nacionalista Party (NP).
He lost to Santos in the last elections.
Batangueños’ will
Recto, in an interview over radio dzMM on Saturday, said that jumping to the LP, instead of joining his friend Sen. Manny Villar's NP was the hardest political decision he has made.
He said that before he and Santos were formally sworn in as LP members, he had to call Villar to inform the NP standard bearer of his decision.
Recto insisted that it was their allies in Batangas who pushed them to run under the LP ticket. He said the political leaders told them to help Aquino in his presidential bid.
"Sa Batangas, ang sabi sa amin ay tulungan si Noynoy. Nakita ko ang inspirasyon na ibinigay sa kanila ni Noynoy (In Batangas, they told us to help Noynoy. I saw how Noynoy inspired them)," he said.
He said negotiations between them and the LP lasted for about a month.
‘Serge's fingerprints on RVAT law’
After Recto's inclusion in the LP's senatorial ticket, former senator Sergio Osmeña bolted the party, saying that he did not want to run with a former administration ally.
If Ralph's in or anybody with that profile, then I'm out of the [LP] ticket," Osmeña told ANC's On The Scene on Thursday.
Recto lost in the 2007 senatorial elections under the Team Unity coalition. He was appointed head of the state economic planning agency, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), by President Arroyo in 2008, and resigned the post last August to pursue another run for the Senate.
Osmeña, who also recently joined the LP, allegedly raised before the party leadership the Revised Value-Added Tax (RVAT) Law, which Recto authored. The tax law helped the government avert a fiscal crisis by removing exemptions on the importation of petroleum and imposed additional collections on electricity sales.
Recto said Osmeña helped him pass the law.
"Sa VAT kasama ko si Serge sa pagbalangkas ng batas na iyan. Ang mga fingerprint niya nandiyan sa batas na iyan (Serge helped me draft the VAT law. His fingerprints are on that law)," he said. With a report from Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News
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