Lunch for Erap only, no support - Frasco

CEBU, Philippines - It was a sign of gratitude.

This was the clarification of Liloan Mayor Vincent Frasco “Duke” Frasco for the lunch-meeting tendered for former president Joseph Estrada last Thursday in the town following a series of campaign sorties in Cebu.

“He was our Ninong in our wedding, a very good friend of my father,” Frasco told The FREEMAN.

The former president as well as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stood as principal sponsors in the Frasco-Christina Garcia-Codilla wedding last year. Codilla is a lawyer.

Frasco said Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile helped the municipality by contributing P23 million for the construction of the new Liloan public market.

President Estrada is running under the party of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) while Frasco, a member of the local party One Cebu of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, is allied with the administration of Gilbert Teodoro, the standard bearer of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“I’m with One Cebu and I support the Governor but I also have to recognize President Erap and Senate President Enrile’s help to Liloan. I don’t think any other municipality in Cebu has received that much assistance in just one year,” Frasco said.

Ernesto Maceda, former senate president and campaign manager of Estrada, said that Frasco, who is the son-in-law of Gov. Garcia is supporting Estrada’s presidential bid.

“Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is for Gibo (Teodoro), but her son-in-law, who is a mayor here in the province, is for Erap,” said Maceda.

In a separate interview with The FREEMAN, Frasco’s wife Christina, who was also at the lunch-meeting, said her presence was “a show of gratitude to our Ninong whose efforts resulted to the P23-million in assistance for the new public market.”

“Bisan panahon karon sa pulitika ug pamulitika, angay ra sad siguro nga tagaan nato og saktong pagpasalamat ug pag-ila ang mga tao nga nakatabang sa mga Sugbuanon sa Liloan,” Mrs. Frasco said. – Garry B. Lao   (FREEMAN NEWS)