INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Espina patriarch cries black propaganda in poll defeat

Visayas Bureau

CEBU CITY, Philippines -- Gerardo Espina Sr., patriarch of the most influential political clan in Biliran, maintained on Sunday that his defeat in the province's congressional race was a result of a "successfully managed black propaganda campaign."

Espina Sr., who was defeated by a neophyte Glenn A. Chong of the Liberal Party, claimed he was a victim of "unfair tactics" engaged by his opponents, and even by some nuns and priests who used the pulpit to malign him.

He said he was linked to the 2006 killing of former governor Danilo Parilla in Cebu.

He said that it was true that Gene Corpin, the gunman in the Parilla killing, used to work as a security personnel at the Biliran Capitol, but the latter had been dismissed months before Parilla was killed on September 7, 2006 as he was disembarking from a boat in Cebu City.

He said Corpin was a known tough guy in his province and reportedly killed Parilla because a few days earlier Parilla had manhandled him before several people in Naval's Barbecue Plaza.

As the incumbent mayor of the capital town of Naval, he said he had also been accused of building a "ghost" hospital worth P21 million. "The truth is that the P21 (million) is not for a hospital for Naval has no hospital of its own, but for the Municipal Public Market Complex and Slaughter House," Espina Sr. in a statement sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Saturday.

He said he was also accused of raising the real estate taxes and rental fees for the public market stalls in Naval when "the truth is that real estate taxes and rentals were raised before my time."

"I was only very strict in both tax and rental collection resulting in the upgrading of Naval from a 4th Class to a 3rd class municipality in the first half of my term as Naval Mayor," he said.

Espina Sr. said he was falsely accused of using government money in his lending business that catered mainly to small rice farmers and vendors.

Espina said the Biliran Small Business Credit Assistance (BSBCA), which he owned, provided low-interest loans so that vendors and small rice farmers would no longer have to go loan sharks. He maintained BSCA did not use government funds and was duly registered with appropriate agencies.

He said he got the ire of some Catholic priests and nuns because of his support for family planning, which he launched in 2006.

Despite his defeat, Espina said he was happy that his son, Rogelio, was elected governor of Biliran, together with all his slate in the provincial board.

“In the capital town of Naval, except for the mayor, our vice mayoral candidate and seven out of 8 municipal councilors won.”

Parilla widow, Susan Velasquez-Parilla, was elected mayor of Naval.

"But no regrets. From Boy's Town Orphanage to Deputy Speaker for the Visayas of the House of Representatives and 21 years of various elective positions, is more than I ever dreamed of," Espina Sr. said.

Copyright 2010 INQUIRER.net and content partners. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.