Mar ready to help namesake who withdrew from 2016 race

MANILA, Philippines - It’s one less headache for Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Manuel Roxas II after his namesake, 67-year-old Manuel Antonio “Mar” Roxas, on Thursday backed out from the May 2016 presidential race.

In an interview on the sidelines of the preliminary conference being conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on its motu proprio disqualification of potential nuisance candidates, the other Roxas said he has withdrawn his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.

“I no longer want to run. I’m just a retired policeman. I don’t want controversy. I don’t have a lawyer and I don’t want to have a case in court,” he said. 

Manuel Antonio said he only filed his COC because he wanted to draw attention to the case of his son.

“He has been in prison for almost 20 years now for rape,” he said.

Roxas said he was saddened to hear about the problems of Manuel Antonio’s family.

“I am also a father and I know how hard it is for parents if their child is experiencing hardship,” Roxas said in a statement.

“I will see how I can help as an ordinary citizen, starting from medical assistance so we can check the condition of his son,” he added.

Manuel Antonio said nobody asked him to withdraw his candidacy. A report by News 5, however, quoted Manuel Antonio’s wife as saying that LP members promised them help.

“He was asked to sign their petition immediately. After we informed them of our grievances, that we are only after the release of our son, they said ‘we’re gonna help you,’” Erlinda said.

Aside from the motu proprio disqualification from the Comelec, Manuel Antonio is also facing a disqualification case filed by Roxas before the poll body.

Roxas has asked the Comelec to declare his tocayo as a nuisance bet because he would only cause confusion among the voters as their names and nicknames are similar.

Rising ratings

A Cavite congressman said yesterday that opponents of Roxas “appear to be so threatened by his rising survey ratings that they will throw even the kitchen sink at him.”

“I think that support for (former) Secretary Mar is growing at a fast pace. His rivals are now scared of his widening popular support,” Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Dasmariñas City said.

“Proof of this is their accusation that the administration candidate’s camp is behind the disqualification cases and corruption issues hounding them. People are not fools to believe this allegation,” he said. – With Alexis Romero, Jess Diaz