Noynoy to 'personally explain' absence to Pastor Quiboloy

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Insisting that his absence was not intentional, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino said that he would personally ask Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to understand why he failed to attend the presidential forum the religious leader organized at its headquarters in Davao. The Liberal Party standard bearer was unable to attend a presidential forum in Davao City because his barosinusitis — a condition that occurs mostly among scuba divers and fliers — rendered him temporarily unable to fly to the venue. Aquino’s inability to fly to Davao City to attend the forum held on Tuesday was only in accordance to his doctor’s advice, who told him to refrain from flying, he said in a Zamboanga City press conference on Wednesday. "In worst cases you can rupture the eardrums so the doctor as a cautionary point advised me not to take a flight," Aquino said. Aquino said he was advised to allot two days for his medicines to take effect — the second day was Tuesday — before he could fly. "I think getting a cold is not something I can schedule," Aquino said. "I apologized, I wrote him a letter, I tried to explain, and when I go to Davao I will seek an audience and I will explain it again to him." He failed to specify the date for the meeting with Quiboloy although he is scheduled to campaign in Davao del Norte on Saturday. Quiboloy said Tuesday that he was very disappointed with Aquino's absence as his group rescheduled the forum to March 9 from its original date of February 11 just to accommodate the LP standard-bearer. “They said they won’t be able to make it to time so I asked them to choose a date. Senator Aquino chose March 9 and they committed to come at this date," Quiboloy said in a speech before the forum. “I would like to tell all of you, who are as disappointed just like me, what commitment is. Commitment is your word of honor. When you fail to fulfill your commitment, you have no word and you have no honor," he added. But Aquino, in his press conference Wednesday, maintained: "There is no disrespect meant and that [barosinusitis] is something beyond my control." Aquino’s closest rival to the presidency, Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar Jr. (Nacionalista Party), also skipped the event even though he was in the area as early as 11 a.m. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Quiboloy as saying he was also disappointed with Villar's absence at the forum. Among the presidential contenders who attended the forum were Senators Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan), Ma. Ana Consuelo “Jamby" Madrigal (independent), Nicanor Perlas (independent), Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), and Eduardo "Eddie" Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas). Former President Joseph Estrada (Pwersa ng Masa) was also in attendance but he came late to the forum. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV