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Saturday, June 30, 2007
Congressman scoffs off mayor's oath-taking snub
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles doesn't care if he is the only one not invited to the oath taking of newly elected and reelected Davao City officials this Saturday.
The congressman, who had a falling out with Mayor Rodrigo Duterte during the election campaign period, said he is busy attending to important matters in Manila and wouldn't be able to attend anyway the event in Davao City.
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"(It's) Okay lang, no problem with me. I also have to personally attend to the Supreme Court oral argument of Miguel Zubiri last Thursday," Nograles said, on observations that he was deliberately left out in the oath taking ceremony for Davao City officials.
In any case, Nograles added, he is scheduled to take his oath before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, also this Saturday, in Malacañang.
Duterte, in a separate interview, explained that he did not invite anyone to his oath taking before Municipal Trial Court Branch 2 Judge Antonina Escovilla at the City Hall steps this Saturday.
However, the mayor said reelected 2nd district Congressman Vincent Garcia and 3rd district Congressman-elect Isidro Ungab requested that they join him in the oath taking and it was just appropriate that he accept. Regional Trial Court Branch 16 Judge Emmanuel Carpio will be swearing in Garcia and Ungab.
A local daily reported Friday that Nograles was deliberately not invited by the City Government to Saturday's oath taking at City Hall.
Nograles said he is busy attending to matters that concern the nation and has no time to sulk over petty local politicking.
"My concerns are purely national in scope," Nograles said.
The falling out between Nograles and Duterte occurred at the height of the election period, with the mayor accusing the congressman of not campaigning for Team Unity and focusing on his son's party-list group Kalahi, which did not even make enough votes for one slot in Congress. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (June 30, 2007 issue)
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