Gibo shies away from Danding issue in Quiboloy interview

Administration party presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday shied away from “familial issues" with his uncle, business tycoon and known kingmaker Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco, Jr., saying that personal issues should not meddle with politics. In an interview with influential religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City, Teodoro did not give a categorical answer when asked for his reaction about reports that his uncle would not support his presidential bid. The former defense secretary instead said that “familial issues" should not be mixed with politics. “Personal, familial issues should not be placed into the equation of country, because the country means Filipino people," he said in the interview. “As far as I know, the country is not owned by any family and should not be [owned by any family]." The Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer said Filipinos should focus on his platforms instead of his relationship with his relatives. “The country is composed of 92 million people. The future of their lives is at stake. These are the important issues. The important issues are what you intend to do for your country," he said. Kingmaker The 74-year old Cojuangco is one of the most influential kingmakers and business tycoons in the country. He is the current chair of San Miguel Corporation, the Philippines' largest food and beverage conglomerate. A known crony of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Cojuangco was part of the infamous Rolex 12, a group of men who were the closest and most powerful advisers of the dictator. His ties with Marcos estranged him from his cousin, the late former president Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, who succeeded Marcos as president in 1986. In 1992, Cojuangco set up the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) and ran as its standard bearer. He lost to Fidel V. Ramos but remains the NPC's chairman emeritus. Teodoro was formerly a member of the NPC and reportedly Cojuangco’s most favored nephew, but switched to the administration party and later became its standard-bearer for the May polls. Although Cojuangco has not yet publicly announced his support for any presidential candidate in the May elections, his wife, Gretchen Cojuanco, said Danding would not back Teodoro's candidacy. Teodoro is currently in Mindanao for campus tours and multi-sectoral meetings. He visited the “prayer mountain" of the Quiboloy-led Kingdom of Jesus Christ in Davao City early Thursday, and was prayed over by the influential religious leader. - KBK, GMANews.TV