Fernando: Nobody attempted to bribe me yet

MANILA, Philippines - Unlike his running mate, Sen. Richard Gordon, Bagumbayan vice presidential bet and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando is proud that no one has yet attempted to bribe him into withdrawing from the race.

“Ako wala. Di pa ako binibigyan ng sakit ng ulo. I am proud na walang nag-offer sa akin,” he told reporters in Marikina City when asked if there had been an attempt to bribe him into withdrawing from the race.

Earlier, Gordon revealed that an emissary allegedly sent by his rival, Nacionalista Party bet Manuel Villar had offered to reimburse all his campaign expenditures and even be given a Cabinet seat in exchange for his withdrawal from the race.

Gordon has yet to reveal the identity of the emissary saying that he could do that should he and Villar be subjected to a lie detector test.

Senator Jamby Madrigal who is also seeking the presidency has revealed that she, too, was offered a whopping P1 billion allegedly by Villar to back-off from the race.

Villar has denied allegations that he offered bribes to his rivals in exchange for their withdrawal in the race.

Even Sen. Loren Legarda who is seeking the vice presidential seat under the Nacionalista Party is also accusing her rival, Sen. Mar Roxas of the Liberal Party of allegedly “making a deal” to make her withdraw her bid.

The Liberal Party denied Legarda’s allegation.

Despite lagging in the surveys, Fernando, like his running mate, Gordon, is also confident of winning.

“A vice president should be able to develop and promote culture. My experience in engineering makes me qualified. I think I am successful enough. I have planted the seed and I am just waiting for it to germinate. I have started something. Pag ako ay nanalo, buo na ang thesis ko,” he said.