Thursday, April 19, 2007 Floirendo, del Rosario watch Pacquiao together By Ben O. Tesiorna
IT SEEMS not only was the nation united by Sunday's fight of boxing champ Manny Pacquiao against Mexican boxer Jorge Solis, but also healed the rift between families of Rodolfo del Rosario and banana magnate Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. brought about by their recent political infighting.
Del Rosario said he and the elder Floirendo watched the Pacquiao fight together at the Floirendo mansion inside the vast Tagum Agricultural Development Corporation (Tadeco) farm in Davao del Norte last Sunday.
The former governor said he and the Floirendo grand patriarch have already sat down and talked about their past misgivings and that all is now forgiven and forgotten in the name of family unity.
That is why, del Rosario said, he is wondering why some groups continue to claim that the Floirendo clan is still at odds with the del Rosario family. He was obviously referring to claims of Gov. Gelacio Gementiza's camp that the Floirendo's are supporting Gementiza over del Rosario in the gubernatorial race of the province.
"Actions will show that the Floirendos are supporting me. Tinaas ni Tonyboy ang kamay ko eh (Tonyboy raised my hand) and he was present in all of our rallies at the second district. Kaya sana tigilan na yang isyu na yan (so, hopefully, they'll stop that issue)," del Rosario said.
Del Rosario said he has no personal fight with Gementiza whom he considers an ally way back. He said that he was not expecting to confront the incumbent governor in this election since Gementiza was then running for mayor of Tagum City when he filed his certificate of candidacy for governor.
"But at the last hour, Gementiza opted to run for governor. I did not do it, he (Gementiza) did it. Kaya ngayon kami ang maghaharap (So, now, its us who'll be facing each other)," del Rosario said.
