Pilando brod denies clan endorsed congress bet

BAGUIO -based civic leader Dr Lorenzo Pilando, brother of former congressional candidate engineer Arnulfo Pilando and late Mountain Province Rep. Roy Pilando said, ‘no one among the family (Pilando) members endorsed anyone for any electoral post for the May 10 elections in Mountain Province.”

Reacting to a news item in two local papers, a surprised Lorenzo said, ‘The decision whom to support and vote in the May 10 elections was a personal choice.’

Earlier, Baguio-based businessman Peter ‘Bong’ Chumawin, spoke in behalf of the supporters of the late Rep. Pilando supporting the candidacy of congressional candidate Frank Odsey, incumbent Bontoc mayor.

There were four congressional candidates for the lone district of Mountain Province: incumbent governor Maximo Dalog, former Sabangan mayor Jupiter Dominguez, Odsey and former Sagada mayor and presidential assistant Thomas Killip.

Arnulfo earlier withdrew his candidacy for the congressional post for Mountain Province for the 2010 elections .

Also, a surprised relative, leader and Pilando supporter, Bonifacio Salupen, 60, from Pandayan, Tadian, who backed Dominguez, reacted to the statement.

He said, “Chumawin does not represent all the supporters of Pilando. His statement is a lie and it is not helping make better election systems. Why is he making use of the name of Pilando for a statement we never agreed upon as relatives and supporters?”

Another Mountain Province resident said, there was no conference among all Pilando supporters to back Chumawin’s claim.