Former guv joins son in endorsing Robredo

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Former Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. joined his son, current Governor Arthur Jr., in endorsing Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential bid in the 2022 national elections.

Defensor said in a radio interview that he and his son have chosen to endorse Robredo despite bolting from the Liberal Party (LP).

Robredo is running for president as an independent, but remains head of the LP, where both father and son were members until 2016.

The Defensors both jumped to the ruling PDP-LABAN when the Duterte administration took over.

Arthur Jr. is running for his second term under the National Unity Party and the regional Uswag Ilonggo Party, which have not formally endorsed any presidential candidate as of this writing.

Defensor Sr. said they cannot “in good conscience” support the current survey front-runner, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., citing the stolen wealth under his parents’ 21-year dictatorship.

Arthur Sr. was formerly commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) under former President Corazon Aquino that was tasked to recover the stolen of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

“I saw from a close range how the Marcoses divested this country of billions of pesos. When I was PCGG commissioner, I brought home all documents from Switzerland which showed that they had money stored there. It was decided by the Supreme Court that the Republic of the Philippines owned close to US$600 million,” said Defensor.

The incumbent governor announced his support for Robredo last Oct 28, and soon after, provincial mayors allied with him also expressed their own support, including Raul Banias (Concepcion), Ronilo Caspe (Cabatuan), and Reynor Gonzales (Lambunao).