Duterte: Bacolod mayor not in narco-list

BACOLOD. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia (SunStar Bacolod)
BACOLOD. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia (SunStar Bacolod)

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has called out a former Bacolod City mayor who is seeking a congressional seat for supposedly altering a video to make it appear that incumbent Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia was among the "narco-politicians."

Duterte, in a video uploaded on Facebook on Thursday, March 21, made it clear that he "never mentioned" Leonardia's name as among the politicians who have supposed links to illegal drug trade.

The President issued the remark, upon learning that his speeches were allegedly "twisted" by former mayor Monico Puentevella to tag Leonardia in the narcotics trade.

Puntevella is eyeing a seat at the House of Representatives, while Leonardia is seeking a reelection in the May 13, 2019 polls.

Duterte clarified that he never named Leonardia nor Puentevella as among government officials who are included in the so-called narco-list.

"'Yung sinabi ni Mayor Monico na pinangalanan ko si Leonardia as one of the... Hindi totoo yun. I was purposely and intentionally, binaliktad yung salita. Hindi naman fair 'yan (Monico's claim that I named Leonardia as one of the narco-politicians is not true. I was purposely and intentionally misquoted. My words were twisted. That's unfair)," the President said.

"My advice kay Mayor Monico is huwag ganoon. Tapos gamitin mo pangalan ko. Tapos 'yung mga speeches ko ini-splice ninyo, tapos dinagdagan ninyo ng ibang -- pinaghahalo-halo ninyo, lumalabas na si Leonardia ang nasa droga. Mali po 'yun. Pati si Monico wala. His name does not appear there, neither yung pangalan ni Leonardia," he added.

(My advice to Mayor Monico, don't do that. You're using my name. You splice my speeches, embellish them, and jumble them to make it appear that Leonardia in involved in illegal drugs. That's wrong. Monico is not included there. His name does not appear there, neither the name of Leonardia.)

Leonardia earlier said he was planning to file criminal charges against Puentevella for the alleged tampering of Duterte's video.

Puentevella, however, denied the accusation that he altered the President's video to taint the Bacolod City mayor's reputation.

Duterte said he merely mentioned Leonardia's name during the March 8 event at the Victorias City Coliseum, when he was recalling the time he summoned the mayor to MalacaƱan Palace in 2016.

During the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan in Bacolod, Duterte asked Leonardia, who joined his on stage, about the mayor's meeting, which happened in 2016, or the year when his war against illegal drugs was heightened.

Duterte also stressed that he was even in fact supporting Leonardia's reelection bid.

"I am supporting Leonardia for the mayorship of Bacolod City. I think the better guy is the more direct and honest. Siya ang gusto kong maging mayor, I am supporting him," he said.

"Just a statement, a simple statement that I am supporting him. Because to me he is the better candidate for mayorship," Duterte added. (SunStar Philippines)

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