Crisostimo: Party owes me more

The Democratic Party cannot disqualify Sen. Luis Crisostimo’s gubernatorial bid based on his failure to pay a $1,500 membership fee because the party owes him a lot more than this amount.

So said the senator himself who, after losing the party’s endorsement to former governor Froilan Tenorio, disclosed yesterday that the Democratic Party has yet to reimburse him for money he spent for advertising and other party expenses during the November 2003 elections.

“I don’t even have the exact number. But if I bill them, there won’t be anything left for the elections from the money they will collect from their fundraising. So I think that the $1,500 that they say I didn’t pay is immaterial because in reality, the party owes me money,” Crisostimo said.

The Democratic Party decided last Friday to throw its support behind Tenorio, rejecting Crisostimo’s bid over alleged violations of the party’s bylaws regarding the submission of letter of intent to run for governor.

Aside from not paying the $1,500 candidacy fee, Crisostimo also failed to name a running mate, the party said.

But in an interview yesterday, Crisostimo maintained that Tenorio’s group came up with a new set of bylaws which was stamped by the Registry of Corporations only on Feb. 2, a day after the deadline ended for the submission of letters of intent.

Crisostimo also expressed his resolve to question the legitimacy of the party’s decision and push for a primary election.

“Today, I feel that the party forgot its principles. I call on the officials to reconsider their action and conduct a primary. If Froilan cannot win the primary, I don’t think he should be the party’s nominee. The primary, after all, is a prerequisite before you make it to the big game,” he said.

Crisostimo further said that he has already asked members of the party’s central executive committee for separate meetings. He hopes to discuss with them his concerns about the primary and Tenorio’s record as a party member, he said.

“I’m not going to stay in the office and give up. If we have to take the primary to the general elections and let the people choose, so be it,” Crisostimo said.

Breaking away from the party is also another option that he is considering, he added.

“The way the party is now treating me, I mean, how disrespectful can we be? For the longest time, I stood by the party, then, somebody comes in and they pick him. If they’re the ones that’s pushing me out, what can I do?” he asked.