Recto hopes for clean election campaign

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto shunned the possible use of dirty campaigning and underhanded tactics among his colleagues vying for higher office in next year’s election.

“(I hope it) will not be a take-no-prisoners bruising fight but something that is fierce but friendly, intense but clean,” he said yesterday.

Recto, who is also seeking re-election, said it would not be good if the candidates from the Senate would be throwing mud against each other just to win the presidency or vice presidency.

He was referring to Sens. Grace Poe, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Alan Cayetano. Only Poe is running for president while the rest are running for vice president.

“You’ve been in the same room for quite some time, seatmates even, you chair hearings together, you eat together in the lounge. So I don’t think civility will be thrown out of the window once the official campaigning starts,” Recto said.

“Familiarity should breed friendship, not contempt,” he added. “I believe in the better angels of our nature. I believe that each of the five believes that an election should not be a friendship-ending event.”

Recto said he and his colleagues can disagree without demonizing each other.

“You can lock horns on policies but don’t stab your opponents’ backs with lies,” he said.

Poe is running for the presidency with Escudero as her running mate. Nacionalista Party stalwarts Cayetano, Trillanes and Marcos are all running for vice president.

Recto described the “four gentlemen and one lady” as qualified for the posts they are aspiring for.

“The five, having worked together in close proximity for years in a chamber as small as a volleyball court, would be a deterrent to a dirty campaign,” he said.

“The election should all be about constantly lifting up one’s qualifications and not solely putting down the opponents. Each one of them can say something good,” he added.

Apart from Recto, Liberal Party stalwarts Senate President Franklin Drilon and Teofisto Guingona III are also seeking re-election.  Sen. Vicente Sotto III is running for another term under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Recto said even reelectionist senators as well as senators whose terms are not up but would campaign for candidates won’t use themselves as battering rams of their own parties.

“I told the Liberal Party that you would never hit below the belt of my colleagues. I can’t also imagine the likes of Bam Aquino and Sonny Angara allowing themselves to be used as such,” he said. 

“Of course, there will be differences, contrasts, debates and divergence of views. Truth hurts and can be unsettling. But that’s just natural. What is wrong is to use lies,” he added.