ILOILO CITY—For his failure to openly endorse the presidential bid of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., a candidate for town councilor in Iloilo province has decided to cancel his candidacy.
“Ang ini nga kawsa transcends my political career kay ang ini nga election may dako nga impact sa buwas damlag sang aton mga kabataan (This cause transcends my political career as this election will have a big impact on the future of our children),” said Jess Cordero Dimafiles.
The three-term former town councilor of Barotac Nuevo town was supposed to run and make a bid to regain his seat under the Nacionalista Party (NP), which is endorsing Marcos.
In a video statement posted on his Facebook page late Friday night, Dimafiles explained that he was previously pressured by the local NP leadership to support the candidacy of Marcos even when he and his family were known to support the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo.
Dimafiles previously posted an endorsement in favor of Marcos, but deleted it when those who know him were shocked, confused and disappointed.
Dimafiles said he could not stand by endorsing Marcos since he learned of the abuses of the Marcos dictatorship as a student at University of the Philippines (UP Visayas).
Dimafiles also pointed out that his own father was one of those who joined Evelio Javier, the former Antique governor who was assassinated, and whose death was one of the last precursors that led to the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986.
Dr. Ferj Biron, campaign manager for the Marcos’ Uni-Team in Iloilo province and who is, himself, seeking to regain the congressional seat in the fourth district of Iloilo, admitted in a radio interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo that he did warn Dimafiles.
Biron even told Dimafiles to “make up” his mind on who to support between Marcos and Robredo.
It was also learned that campaign posters bearing the name and photo of Dimafiles have been removed from the slate led by Biron’s group in Barotac Nuevo town.