Chavit, Mike Defensor smoke peace pipe

LIPA CITY - The rift between Team Unity senatorial candidates, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson and former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor has been mended. Earlier, Singson has chided Defensor after reports quoting the former presidential chief of staff said Team Unity might adopt former Sen. Gregorio Honasan as a candidate with another TU candidate supposedly giving way. While Defensor denied making such statements, Singson refused to make peace with the latter, saying the damage has been done. "I think that reported feud is already a thing of the past," German said in an interview with Manila-based reporters here. While German refused to give details, he said a lot of people were involved to mollify Singson. Still, in Sunday's caravan of the Team Unity here in Batangas province, Defensor and Singson were not present. Both were represented by their respective daughters when TU bets met with barangay chairmen of Lipa City, bailiwick of incumbent mayor and now gubernatorial candidate Vilma Santos and her husband, Sen. Ralph Recto. German said such "misunderstanding" among candidates in a ticket could be expected particularly in the last stages of the campaign period. "These things happen at this stage of the campaign, when the candidates are already sensitive, because of fatigue and the concerns and anxieties for the coming elections," he said. German said both camps agreed to leave the issue behind and just work together to secure the victory of Team Unity. "In short, that issue is already dead. What we have to do now is to focus in the remaining days of the campaign to ensure a 12-0 victory. The reported feud is no longer an issue at this stage," he said. - GMANews.TV