Ducat: ‘Chavit used bus siege for political show’

Hostage-taker Armando Ducat Jr scored Friday administration senatorial candidate Luis “Chavit" Singson for using the bus siege to advance the latter’s political bid. GMA’s 24-Oras reported that Ducat handed a letter to GMA News that say: “Stop Corruption, No to Chavit Singson." In an interview, Ducat said he was dismayed with the politicking of the Ilocos Sur governor during the hostage crisis. He said when Singson went inside the bus Wednesday afternoon, the administration bet refused to go down. Cesar Augustus Carbonell, Ducat’s accomplice, said he phoned Singson, whom he had known for a long time, to tell him that he is involved in the siege but he never asked the Ilocos governor to come. Ducat said he was irritated when Singson started distributing P500 bills among the children. Singson admitted that he gave the children money but he insisted that he did it upon the prodding of Ducat. “Tutuo yan na namigay ako dahil sabi ni Jun Ducat. Sabi niya ‘bigyan mo,’ sabi ko ‘baka ma-disqualify ako.’‘Hindi crisis e, matutuwa yung mga bata’ siya pa nagsabi e," (It’s true I gave the children money. It was Ducat’s idea. I said to him that I’m risking disqualification but the hostage-taker insisted that it will make the children happy)," he said. The Ilocos Sur governor said he cannot believe that Ducat and Carbonell had spoken out against him. “Hindi ako naniniwala, may nagsusulsol sa kanya at kung graft and corruption ang pag-uusapan si dating Pangulong (Joseph) Estrada nakademanda ng graft and corruption, ako puro allegations lang (I think Ducat and Carbonnel were prodded to attack me. When it comes to corruption, we should be talking about former President Joseph Estrada who is charged with plunder)," he said. Singson, in a press statement said: “Some parties who are probably being manipulated by my political enemies are putting malice into everything that I did, including allegations of political gimmickry." He said he was warned by his advisers and campaign staff of the possible backlash and danger to his personal security. “But when I weighed the pros and cons between the hostage takers themselves asking for help, and the lives of the children at stake, I just instinctively did what a good citizen would do," Singson added in his statement. Singson said his political enemies apparently twisted and distorted the true intentions of the incident. He said this “ perhaps the lowest form of political black propaganda and shows their desperation in trying to stop my snowballing candidacy." The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, said the political side of the hostage incident is not part of their investigation while the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said they see nothing wrong with the distribution of P500 bills to the children by Singson. - GMANews.TV