The man who dared to touch the PM
I am no visitor, I am Trini, says Percy Villafana...
Kim Boodram (T&T Express).
Sunday, March 21st 2010
The man who famously blanked Prime Minister Patrick Manning during a People’s National Movement (PNM) walkabout last Monday said yesterday that he is a resident of Trinidad and Tobago and not an annual visitor, as the PM has suggested.
Percy Villafana has become a bit of a celebrity after his actions outside his home on Real Street, San Juan, when he refused to allow Manning to step through his ’gap’ and greet the relatives therein.
Manning was blocked at the gate where Villafana said, ’You are not welcome here’, while holding his forearms in the shape of a cross.
In Parliament on Friday, Manning claimed that Villafana was in a fact a Canadian resident who visits Trinidad and Tobago during the winter season.
Villafana, who said he once supported the PNM as a young man, finds it mostly amusing but slightly disturbing that the PM had him checked out after the incident.
And he stands by his status as a ’Trini’.
’I was born right here, on this spot, grew up here and I live here,’ he said.
’I am a proud father of four with five grandchildren and all my children live in various parts of Canada-including Winnipeg-so I am always visiting them. I travel a lot, as is my right.’
Manning made the allegations on Friday after being heckled about the incident by Oropouche East MP, Roodal Moonilal.
Retrieving a slip of paper from his back pocket, Manning announced: ’It turns out, Madam Deputy Speaker, that the 81-year-old gentleman is a resident of Winnipeg, Canada.’
Chided by Moonilal for taking the time to stake out the man’s business, Manning replied, ’I just have to use the machinery of the People’s National Movement.’
Relaxing on his breezy porch yesterday, in between sips of cold mauby, Villafana calmly stated that if last Monday was to repeat itself, he would still ’brace’ the PM.
The 81-year-old widower, a former Co-operative Development Officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, is not inclined to hide his thoughts or feelings on the present government.
Re-enacting the form of the cross with his arms, Villafana said: ’That sign is to ward off evil.’
But seriously, Villafana did something that even Manning’s most ardent detractors might shy away from were they to meet the PM in person. Why?
’A $2 million flag? You’ve got to be joking,’ Villafana said quietly.
’Not while the Croisee is so filthy and at any given time there are four or five homeless people sleeping in the bus shed. Not while the San Juan River is filled with filth.
’And have you seen the hospitals? A disgrace. The windows are thick with the mess from birds and dust. The facilities are hideous. Terrible. People are suffering. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Too many people are not brave enough to do things like that.’
The pensioner said he has gotten nothing but positive feedback on his actions from residents in the area, a sign that the citizenry is displeased even in PNM strongholds.
Villafana said he was also irked by a remark made by a member of Manning’s security detail immediately after the incident.
’One of his security men told me that there was one thing I ’did wrong’,’ said Villafana, who is still collecting ’fatigue’ from people in the area over the incident.
’I asked him what that was and he said, ’You touched the Prime Minister’. Excuse me? Who the hell is Patrick Manning? If Jesus Christ was walking down this street and people touched Him as He passed, He would be so pleased. So who is Manning?’
Villafana has said, however, that if the PM wishes to sit down with him for a chat, he is more than welcome.
’Sure, if he wants to come here and ask me a few questions, I would certainly do it. I would tell him everything I said here today about why I did what I did on Monday,’ he said.
