Villafuerte Backs Arroyo’s Son Against his Own Son

The relationship between Camarines Sur third district Representative Luis R. Villafuerte Sr. (LRV) and son Gov. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr. has further deteriorated as the father has just endorsed the reelection bid of congressman Diosdado “Dato” Ignacio Arroyo’s in the second district against his son who is preparing to challenge Arroyo in the 2013 elections.

Estranged from each other since the 2007 elections, LRay hasbeen locked in an intense struggle against his father over the initiatives of LRV, Arroyo, Congressman Rolando Andaya Jr., and Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella to divide Camarines Sur into two provinces. LRV publicly backed up Arroyo on April 5 before a vast crowd in Barangay (village) Salingogon in Minalabac town, encouraging them to bestow 98 percent of their votes on the latter. With Arroyo in tow during his barangay visit that day, LRV portrayed his son LRay as an ingrate and “paratomang (disrespectful, disobedient to the parents)” and an “embarrassment to the family” and dissuaded the village people from voting for his son, whom he ironically admitted is his junior. He also exhorted the people not to support his grandson Miguel, the 23-year-old son of LRay, whom the latter has been grooming to replace him as governor in 2013. He added that he will be mounting a comeback as governor of the province. Like his son, the outgoing governor, LRV is also serving his last term as congressman of the third district.

LRay shrugged off LRV’s verbal attacks, remarking that his downfall would also be that of his father. He added that he is bent on fielding his son Miguel, or Migz, in the gubernatorial race next year even if it meant a direct political collision against his father. Not unlike a political rally, LRV on Thursday regaled the audience with punch lines and threw apples for them to catch—his signature gimmick in campaign sorties. He and Arroyo did a ceremonial distribution of food baskets to ten families out of the more than 500 households in the village. Arroyo told the village residents that even if his Priority Development Assistance Fund has not yet been released, they should not worry because he has other sources to fund his programs in the district. LRay scoffed at Arroyo’s visit as nothing more than a meeting with his barangay leaders and playing basketball.

He pointed out that Arroyo, despite representing the district for over five years, is making the rounds of the district only now and labeled him an absentee congressman, who, as a son of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was handed the position on a silver platter. Arroyo dismissed LRay’s statement, claiming that he has visited all the 189 barangays in the second district and has implemented projects in all of the villages since he assumed office in 2007. He added that he now plans to undertake house-to-house visits.