Palace decries circulation of fake money with Mar's face

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang decried on Thursday the circulation of fake P500 bills that featured the picture of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message that those who made the fake money wanted to defame Roxas, the standard-bearer of the administration.

"What you described is apparently the handiwork of those who wish to portray Sec. Roxas in a bad light and depicts their preference to engage in negative campaigning which is diametrically opposed to our advocacy of Daang Matuwid," Coloma said.

According to reporters covering the House of Representatives, they received earlier today white envelopes that contained the fake P500 bills and fliers that warned against selling votes.

Reports said the sender of the white envelopes was not revealed.

Last July, President Benigno Aquino III officially endorsed Roxas as the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party.

Apart from Roxas, only Vice President Jejomar Binay has declared his intent to run for president next year.

Binay is facing corruption allegations and has said that Roxas is behind the black propaganda against him.

Roxas lags behind Binay and Sen. Grace Poe in the latest surveys on presidential preferences.