I DON’T normally entertain gossip, but this one is too juicy to pass up. So let me share what I recently heard through the grapevine.
Apparently, when Sara Duterte-Carpio was in town last week for the Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s (HNP) campaign caravan to endorse the group’s senatorial candidates as well as some local candidates, someone tried to crash the party.
Uhuh.
When Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who is running for governor, found out she wasn’t invited to the gathering in Mandaue City, she immediately made known her intent to attend. At least, that’s what they’re saying.
But when the presidential daughter got wind of this, she allegedly put her foot down, saying she would back out if Magpale showed up. Of course, Mayor Luigi Quisumbing found himself between a rock and a hard place.
After all, didn’t he and Magpale run under the Liberal Party during the 2016 elections, which would make them allies of some sort, right?
But Quisumbing had no choice but to come up with an alibi, which is basically a euphemism for lying.
So get this, he allegedly told Magpale the matter was out of his hands because that was within the purview of the Davao organizers which, come to think of it, wasn’t exactly a lie.
And that would explain why Magpale wasn’t there, although that bit of news shouldn’t come as a surprise because why would she want to be in an event that was presided over by someone whose father had endorsed her rival in the gubernatorial race?
Mind you, Inday Sara had also thrown in her lot with the family of Third District Rep. Gwen Garcia, who is facing Magpale in the gubernatorial race.
Garcia, who was Cebu’s first lady governor, a position she held for three consecutive terms, heads the One Cebu party, which recently forged an alliance with Carpio’s HNP.
Garcia is the mother of Liloan Mayor Christina Frasco, whose bid for reelection was also endorsed by Carpio.
Last October, Liloan and Davao City signed a sisterhood agreement during which Carpio also endorsed Christina’s husband, former Liloan mayor Duke Frasco, who is eyeing the fifth district congressional seat against incumbent Ramon “Red” Durano VI.
Anyway, Magpale must have forgotten to relay Quisumbing’s message to her allies. You see, she had allegedly told them they were invited to the Mandaue City gathering where Carpio would raise their hands.
And that would explain the presence of JVR (Johnny delos Reyes) and his slate in Talisay City and businessman and San Fernando mayoral candidate Ruben Feliciano who, from what I heard, were not even acknowledged.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.