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By Armand M. Galang,
Correspondent
SAN ISIDRO, Nueva Ecija: The camp
of former Fourth District representative Julita Villareal scored
over the weekend the alleged use of spliced video of an edition of
the GMA 7 television program Imbestigador and making its host, the
broadcaster Mike Enriquez, a virtual campaign barker for her
political rival Rodolfo Antonino.
The video material on heavy
equipment purchased during the term of her husband, former
representative Raul Villareal, is reportedly being shown in campaign
sorties of Antonino.
Villareal noted that the Regional
Trial Court in Gapan City has ruled on the case, which ordered the
Department of Public Works and Highways to recover the equipment
from the Villareal compound in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. The
Villareals have never resisted such action, she noted.
Villareal said it was the DPWH
that was ordered by the court who failed to execute the order. “We
heard the DPWH needed P500,000 for the execution and Antonino
apparently failed to allocate the amount after almost three years in
office,” she noted.
A lawyer of Villareal expressed
concern that portions of the TV show was being used in campaign
sorties and was perceived by many as Antonino’s campaign
material.
“Dahil ginagamit ng pulitiko sa
kampanya, nagmumukhang political propaganda ang programa,” the
lawyer said.
Villareal noted that based on
certification earlier issued by the DPWH 2nd engineering district,
“the 13 units if heavy equipment procured by the district office
since 2002 funded from the congressional initiative priority project
allocations were all accounted for.”
The memorandum signed by Leopoldo
Victorio, construction section chief; Ulysses Llado, assistant
district engineer; and Benito Rayo, area equipment engineer,
however, noted that because “no funds were released for spare
parts and lubricants,” the equipment is unserviceable.
“The camp of Antonino should
stop rehashing the issue because after all, he has received several
millions of pesos in CDF [countryside development funds] and he
still failed to allot fund for the DPWH to execute the court
order,” Villareal said. The equipment that include motor graders
and hydraulic excavators she added, have been blessings to the
people of the district under the term of former Congressman
Villareal.
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