Floirendo's partner: 'Petty' if Alvarez complaint was due to girls' spat

The live-in partner of Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo on Thursday confirmed the fight between her and the reported girlfriend of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, but said it would be “petty” if the graft complaint against her partner stemmed from that.

In a statement, Cathy Binag identified the Speaker’s girlfriend as Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio, with whom she had an “altercation” at the Masskara Festival in Bacolod City “late last year.” 

After the said incident, she said “things spiraled out of control and one thing led to another.” She did not elaborate.

“Let me just make it clear that as to whether the incident with Miss Vicencio is correlated with the Speaker’s filing of case against my partner is beyond me,” she said.

“Personally I know it’s deeper than what is being printed in the papers. It all boils down to greed. Greed for wealth, power and influence,” Binag added.

Binag, however, removed that last assertion when she reposted her statement on her Facebook page.

Former allies

Alvarez and Floirendo—representatives of the Davao del Norte’s first and second districts, respectively—were friends and allies of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Speaker earlier credited Floirendo, the biggest contributor to Duterte’s campaign kitty, for pushing for his return to Congress.

Things have apparently turned sour between the two, as Alvarez filed a graft complaint against Floirendo before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Here he accused Floirendo of having “financial and pecuniary interest” over his links to the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (TADECO)—one of a largest banana plantations in the world—and the Anflo Management and Investment Corporation (ANFLOCOR). 

He is also calling for a House inquiry on the joint venture between TADECO and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Floirendo has said he is “ready to face” the charges, but called on Alvarez to meet with him in order to settle the issue “like gentlemen” after the Speaker refused to talk to him personally.

He also denied rumors that he was leading an ouster plot against Alvarez, to clear the speakership for former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Apology to Alvarez family

Earlier news reports quoted Binag as saying that the relationship between Duterte’s two allies took a turn when Alvarez’ wife, Emilita, and their children sought help from her and Floirendo about the Speaker’s alleged womanizing.

Alvarez’s daughter, Finance spokesperson Paola Alvarez, has issued a statement, saying it was “completely appalling” that their personal relations have been revealed in light of her father’s problem with Floirendo.

She called on Binag to “respect” their choice to keep their lives private and to “stop dragging us into her personal issues.”

For her part, Floirendo’s live-in partner apologized to Alvarez’s family.

“It was not my intention to drag the Alvarez family into the issue and was merely answering questions from the media who is asking about the Alvarez family,” she said in her statement.

“If ever I hurt them, I am sorry. I never intended to hurt the Alvarez family because I know where they are coming from. Truth will set us all free,” she added. —KBK, GMA News