Palace hands off on alleged infighting among Team PNoy bets

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is keeping its distance from the alleged infighting among Team PNoy senatorial candidates as the campaign enters the final stretch.

There are reports that Sen. Loren Legarda is accusing her colleague Sen. Alan Peter Caye-tano of being behind the accusation that she did not declare her condominium unit in New York worth $700,000 in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth from 2006 to 2010.

Louis Biraogo, a businessman who described himself as a public interest advocate, brought out the issue against Legarda.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it would be up to the Team PNoy campaign team to answer the issues.

Asked if Malacañang was confident that there was no bad blood among the Team PNoy candidates and no bad eggs as well, Lacierda said he could not speak for them

“I cannot speak for the (two) senators, I can only speak for the President and the Cabinet members. As to the senators, we will leave it to them to release their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth… I think all of us, as public officials, are expected to comply with the requisites of the law,” he said.

Lacierda said he did not think Legarda would break from Team PNoy because of the issue.

“We believe Senator Legarda is a team player,” he said.

He said Legarda sent Malacañang a text message saying she appreciates the wholehearted support of President Aquino and the Team PNoy camaraderie.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the ruling Liberal Party president, also admitted knowing of the squabbles involving Legarda and Cayetano.

Roxas said it is in the best interest of the LP-led coalition for the matter to be settled soonest.

“They’re supposed to be allies, and we just hope that teamwork will prevail over personal interest,” he said.

Roxas said Legarda has already clarified the issues during a press conference where she presented her SALN.

Legarda denied the allegations and said the property was already included in her SALN as early as 2007.

Team PNoy campaign manager Se. Franklin Drilon said Legarda did not name or accuse anyone behind the smear campaign against her.

“In her press briefing…Sen. Loren Legarda, deplored the continued black propaganda against her but she accused no one and no political party in particular as being behind this demolition job,” Drilon said in a statement.

“The most that she revealed was the name of the source of media materials being circulated to opinion writers about the alleged non-inclusion of her New York property in her SALN,” he added.

Drilon said Legarda remains committed and will remain “a loyal team player of the Team PNoy senatorial slate.”

Lacierda, on the other hand, defended Kris Aquino for campaigning for some candidates from the opposition. – With Delon Porcalla, Marvin Sy