‘I’m a joker, not vulgar’

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY – “Indi ako bastos, ang batasan ko joker lang” (I’m not rude, I’m just a joker).

This was the statement of League of the Municipalities (LMP) Capiz chapter President and Mambusao town Mayor Leodegario “Jun” Labao, Jr. to the media relative to his actuations in Sigma last week.

Labao was reacting to their confrontation with the group of Capiz 2nd district Rep. Fredenil Castro during the distribution of the P3,000 financial assistance from the national government.

Tensions nearly erupted during the off-site payout of the beneficiaries of the Assistance Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) at the Sigma Covered Gym in Capiz Friday morning, Nov 12, 2021, between the group of Contreras of PDP-Laban and Castro of Lakas-CMD-Liberal Party (LP) coalition.

All was well initially when the two groups first met at the gym of Capiz State University (CapSU) also in Sigma.

The group of Castro was about to end their program when Contreras’ party along with his ally, League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Capiz Chapter President and Mambusao town Mayor Leodegario Labao Jr. arrived.

Labao is running for congressman in the Second District of Capiz under PDP-Laban against the wife of Castro of the Lakas-CMD-Liberal Party (LP) coalition.

Cong. Castro is running for governor against re-electionist Contreras.

The activities of the two groups successfully ended at the CapSU campus before proceeding to the town’s covered gym.

As Castro and party were about to finish their program at the town’s covered gym, the group of Contreras and Labao arrived.

Labao proceeded directly to the emcee, took the microphone and announced “Layas na” (Get out), apparently pertaining to Castro’s group.

When later asked by the media about his statement, Labao said he was merely joking when he told Castro’s group to leave.

Some witnesses called Labao’s conduct as unethical and the actuation of an ill-educated person.

The incident was caught in video which went viral on social media.

But Labao blamed Castro’s group for the near fracas saying that the cellphone clearly showed that Castro attempted to hit him with a plastic chair while he was on the other side of the covered gym of Sigma.

He also blamed businessman Dante Eslabon for allegedly instigating the tension, not Sigma town Mayor Christopher Andaya because the latter was not part in the distribution of the financial assistance.

Gov. Contreras backed Labao’s statement saying that they were merely explaining to the people that the money came from the taxes of the people and not from any individual.