Roxas vows no personal attacks against rivals
Administration standard-bearer Mar Roxas vowed yesterday that he and his runningmate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo will never engage in personal attacks against their rivals in the duration of the campaign until election day next year.
Instead, Roxas said they will engage the public in discussions on whether or not the honest and good governance initiated by President Aquino must continue in order to help the voters choose their national leaders wisely come election day.
“On our part, I and Congresswoman Leni believe that how we campaign is an indication of how we will govern,” Roxas told reporters in an interview at the LP headquarters in Quezon City.
“So we will (be) on the high-level, we will focus on the issues, the programs to convince our countrymen that it is good for the country to continue the programs of Daang Matuwid (straight path). That will be our concentration,” he added.
Roxas made the statement amid the declaration of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte that the former’s staunch allies are behind the smear campaign that he was suffering from throat cancer.
Earlier, Roxas denied he had something to do with the smear drive saying it is not in his character to hit any political rival.
He added that he had already communicated with Duterte and believes that the Davao City Mayor would yield to reason instead of rumors that aim to drive a wedge between them.
Credible endorser Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda is still hopeful that Duterte would endorse the presidential bid of Roxas once they iron out their differences. Lacierda said Duterte and Roxas have been friends for a long time and had denied any involvement in spreading rumors that Duterte was suffering from cancer.
“Certainly, you would like to make sure that that friendship continues and how that friendship will blossom into an endorsement of Mayor Duterte to Secretary Mar Roxas,” Lacierda said in a Palace news conference.
“We have seen that already in 2010 when he endorsed then Senator Noynoy Aquino and Senator Mar Roxas so we certainly hope that Mayor Duterte and former Secretary Mar Roxas would rekindle their — or clear the air between the two of them,” he added.
Lacierda acknowledged that Duterte’s endorsement carries much weight since he is a “respected figure” not only in Davao but in the entire country.
What strained the relation between Roxas and Duterte is the post of journalist Philip Lustre Jr in his Facebook last month claiming that Duterte has throat cancer and in the terminal stage. Lustre Jr is reportedly working with the campaign group of Roxas.
The cancer rumors circulated at the time when Duterte was being encouraged by his supporters to run for president in the upcoming elections.
Out with lies Duterte denied Lustre’s claim describing it as a “glaring proof of how corrupt our nation has become.”
The straight-talking Davao mayor described Lustre Jr as a former journalist who now acts as a PR man and puppet “of a political interest groups and politicians who lust for power and the money that comes along with it.”
“I hold the Mar Roxas camp responsible for the actions of this PR man,” Duterte fumed.
Duterte also said “it is not fair to paint (Vice President Jejomar) Binay, (Sen. Grace) Poe and Duterte black just so Mar Roxas would appear white.”
He called on the presidential candidates “to raise the level of political campaigning to a plane where our people are given the accurate picture of who they are and what they could do for the country.”
“Let us not corrupt our people’s mind and influence their political decision with lies. Let us show people who their prospective leaders really are, what their plans are and what future they could offer the future generations of Filipinos.”
“Mar cannot stand on our carcasses badly mangled by his PR men just so he could reach his presidential ambitions,” Duterte added.
Lacierda also suspects that Roxas is being attacked probably because of his improved ratings in recent presidential surveys.
“In the last survey, the rating of Sec. Mar Roxas has improved so others consider him a threat but that’s the nature of the campaign,” he said.
No rider Yesterday, Roxas also distanced himself from the disqualification case filed by former Senator Francisco Tatad against Senator Grace Poe who is leading presidential surveys.
“You all know that we are not in the same political camp with Senator Tatad. He has his own points of view and maybe he could explain on his own why he filed the case,” said Roxas.
Roxas said they believe that the lady senator is qualified to run for public office, the reason why she was included in the senatorial line up of LP during the 2013 elections.
“In the beginning, we presumed regularity. She was even included on Team PNoy slate. There was no complaints before and it went with our beliefs that she is Filipino and she is qualified,” said Roxas.
“Now that there are already complaints, I think what’s best is for her to answer the complaints directly. I’m sure Senator Grace how they will respond,” he added.
“On our part, we will never dip our fingers into the issue and we will never ride on that,” Roxas stressed.
Gordon’s claim But while Roxas parried allegations, former senator Richard Gordon told ANC that he was approached by some of his schoolmates from the state university who are members of the Liberal party and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to file a disqualification case against Poe.
Gordon is making a senate comeback in 2016 under the Bagumbayan party. He is a guest candidate of UNA and in the senate slate of the Poe-Escudero tandem.
The LP leadership immediately debunked Gordon’s claim, stressing that the LP has been consistent in doing away with the traditional mudslinging.
“Both the President and Former Secretary Mar Roxas have given the Liberal Party clear marching instructions on how the campaign should be waged. We have always campaigned on Daang Matuwid and that we are focused on issues and our platform, not on personalities,” LP campaign spokesperson Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said. (With a report from Genalyn D. Kabiling)