SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Philippines – Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Manuel Roxas II slammed Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday for linking him to the disqualification cases against presidential rival Sen. Grace Poe, saying the accusation was made out of disappointment over a potential campaign setback.
Escudero is the running mate of Poe in next year’s national elections. Their tandem has topped recent popularity surveys.
“The partner of my rival is blaming me. I have nothing to do with it (filing of disqualification case),” Roxas said, referring to Escudero.
“They were already disappointed. If they were hurt with the decision then they have to admit it,” Roxas said in a radio interview here, referring to the ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division disqualifying Poe from the presidential race over questions regarding her residency.
Escudero said on Thursday a lawyer who filed a petition for Poe’s disqualification has had links to Roxas’ camp. He said Estrella Elamparo was connected with a law firm associated with former defense secretary Avelino Cruz, a campaign supporter of Roxas.
Elamparo had served as spokesperson and chief legal counsel of the Government Service Insurance System.
Roxas said he was wondering why he alone was being blamed for Poe’s troubles considering that fellow presidential candidates Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have also expressed doubts on Poe’s citizenship and residency status.
Santiago said the other day she believed Poe was not a natural-born Filipino.
Roxas said Duterte had even declared he finally decided to run for president to prevent an American from assuming the country’s top post.
It was the Binay camp, through its spokesman Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, which first raised the residency issue against Poe.
“In the first place, I’ve been very sincere in courting Senator Poe as my running mate. However, when she decided to join the presidential race, we respected it. Now, they are blaming me. What can I do if our countrymen don’t want an American citizen,” Roxas said.
LP spokesman Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice said they were wondering why Escudero did not point to Binay’s camp, which first questioned Poe’s citizenship.
He said there were rumors that Escudero would jump to Binay’s camp if Poe is disqualified.
In another interview later in the day in Dagupan City, Roxas said he understands Poe is hurting from her legal troubles, but that she or her supporters should stop putting the blame on other people.
“All of us experience disappointments in life, but it doesn’t mean that when we fail to get what we want, there is someone behind it,” Roxas said in a live interview over K17 The Kabaleyan Channel.
“Sometimes we don’t get what we want because we are wrong,” he said in Filipino.
Unaware at first
He said he and his group were unaware of issues on Poe’s residency and citizenship when they invited her to be his running mate for the 2016 polls.
“I didn’t know she became an American,” he added.
Roxas said they sincerely talked with Poe but she apparently did not tell them about the issues.
He added Poe did not say her husband is also an American.
“So our understanding is she is Filipina when she ran under our ticket for senator because she did not tell us. What we knew was she was a ‘regular’ person but it turned out there are issues in her life which she did not tell us,” Roxas pointed out.
He lamented being linked by her camp to the disqualification cases against her.
“What have I to do with her swearing allegiance to America? She raised her right hand to take her oath of allegiance. I have nothing to do with it,” he said.
Poe, Roxas pointed out, should answer issues instead of engaging in a blame game.
LP senatorial candidate Francis Pangilinan, who was also in Dagupan yesterday, told a business forum that Roxas is in the best position to continue the achievements of the current administration.
“But more than that, in those years he (Roxas) served in the Cabinet, he gave his best in facing all the challenges the administration was beset with. He did not back out, he faced all the trials which perhaps is the reason why he is being criticized by some,” Pangilinan said.
Denial
Meanwhile, Elamparo denied yesterday the LP or any political party had goaded her into petitioning the court for Poe’s disqualification.
“Categorically I am denying any connection with any candidate or political party... For the record, I have no connection to them. It seems they are trying take the attention away from the legal arguments by focusing on my background and connection,” she said in a press briefing. – Sheila Crisostomo, Paolo Romero, Celso Amo