Incumbent Parañaque Vice Mayor Anjo Yllana has denied reports that he received ₱20 million in exchange for removing former Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez from a political lineup for the May 2007 elections. The allegation was published in the entertainment section of Remate on October 20.
In an exclusive interview on October 27 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Anjo said, "Definitely, it's character assassination. I cannot speak on behalf of whoever is behind this. I don't know their intentions, but it's clearly character assassination, and it has something to do with politics and the upcoming elections."
Anjo suggested that the accusation might have originated from the camp of former Parañaque First Lady Alma Moreno. The Remate column, which insinuated he accepted the bribe, heavily quoted an interview with Alma, although no direct source for the bribery claim was identified.
Alma had announced as early as May that she would run for vice mayor in Parañaque in next year's elections.
When asked if he believes Alma is capable of spreading such a rumor, Anjo answered, "She just did."
He added, "I'm just wondering why. Is the position [of vice mayor] that important to her that she would do this to me? Still, I respect whatever decision she makes."
Anjo expressed disappointment, noting his close personal ties with Alma and her family. "It's not nice because I am the godfather of her son, BJ. I love her kids. I hope there would be no underhanded attacks like this."
He emphasized he had no objections to Alma’s candidacy: "She declared her intention to run in May or June, and I never said anything negative about it. I respect her decision."
However, Anjo was firm when asked if he would step aside for Alma: "No, even though I owe them [Joey and Alma] a lot, my greater responsibility is to the people who voted for me. They put me in this position. I can’t just tell them, 'I'm backing out because of my friend.' It’s up to the voters now. If they still want me, I will serve. If not, I will respect their decision."
Anjo acknowledged the risk the false accusations pose: "The worst thing that could happen is that people believe it—and I lose in the elections."
He made a public appeal to Alma: "I hope there’s no more mudslinging or making up stories just to destroy opponents. Using the media to tarnish someone's reputation is old-style politics. Let's run clean campaigns based on our platforms. Dirty tactics are passé. Let’s have a fair fight."
Anjo stressed that the vice-mayoralty position belongs to the people, not to him personally. "All I'm asking for is a fair fight. Throwing dirt at each other, true or not, hurts everyone, including families. I haven't even told my family about this issue yet, and it would hurt them if it escalates."
Although Anjo has not yet spoken directly to Alma about the matter, he said he would not be making the first move.
"I don't feel the need to make the first move because I don't know what I would say to her," Anjo concluded. "This is my first time speaking about this, months after the issue surfaced."
source : Yes Magazine
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