Brig. General Danilo “Danny” Lim will miss the Liberal Party campaign sortie in his hometown in Nueva Viscaya Friday due to his strict detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Quezon City.

Lim’s spokesperson, Belle Enriquez, said it will be futile to ask the Makati Regional Trial Court to allow Lim to temporarily leave detention and personally join Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and the LP senatorial slate to visit the towns of Solano, Bayombong and Santiago Friday.

Enriquez said they expect the PNP to look for reasons just to prevent General Lim from being seen in public, such as claiming a scarcity of security personnel to escort Lim and the petitioner’s late application for court permission.

“We no longer applied for permission to leave detention because even if we get the clearance from the court, the PNP will still not let Gen. Lim go. They will keep on making excuses to bar Gen. Lim to be seen in public,” Enriquez claimed.

But even if General Lim cannot make it on the LP political rally in his hometown, Enriquez expressed confidence that voters in Nueva Viscaya are solidly supporting their townmate.

“Besides, Mrs. Aloy Lim who is campaigning on her husband’s behalf is also a native of Solano town like the General. Their relatives will be the ones to campaign for him in his hometown,” she added.

In claiming that General Lim can only leave detention to cast his vote on May 10, Enriquez said she cannot help but compare the situation of the detained Magdalo soldier to the alleged treatment being extended to Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr., whose clan are implicated in the Maguindanao  Massacre that claimed the lives of at least 57 civilians last year.

It was recalled that Ampatuan Jr. was able to hold a press conference last Tuesday while being detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City. It was during that controversial press conference that Ampatuan announced his clan’s support for the Aquino-Roxas tandem.