CITY OF MALOLOS – Actor and Vice Governor Daniel Fernando has offered to mediate between two Bulacan mayors and the actress they want banned from the province, former Quezon City Councilor Aiko Melendez, whom the duo sued for libel last week.
Fernando refused to honor during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session on Wednesday a proposal to support a resolution from 21 mayors seeking to declare Melendez a persona non grata.
The resolution was issued in support of Bulacan Mayor Patrick Meneses, Melendez’s former boyfriend, and Pandi Mayor Enrico Roque – who are claiming the actress caused them grief by triggering rumors in social networking sites and in tabloids that they were a homosexual couple.
Fernando refused to entertain board members Enrique de la Cruz and Ariel Arceo, who wanted to include the resolution in the session’s agenda, arguing that it would unnecessarily drag the provincial government into the private spat.
The mayors had sought the help of De la Cruz and Arceo, who presides over the Bulacan councilors’ league.
Fernando admitted to the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Melendez was his friend, but stressed that his decision to distance the board from the scandal was meant to protect the province.
“The problem would grow if the provincial government takes part in the squabble,” Fernando said. “This is a personal problem best left to [the actress and the mayors] … we will help resolve the issue from the sidelines.”
He added: “What I want for them is to talk and iron things out so that even after they part ways, they can be friends and not [end up squabbling publicly] like this.”
Meneses and Melendez ended their three-year relationship on February 14. Blind items about the two mayors and Twitter references to their sexuality surfaced in April, prompting them to sue Melendez, and entertainment writers Ogie Diaz, Cesar Gella, Ronald Rafer and Pete Ampoloquio.