黑料社

Former senator Mar Roxas on Friday was in a moment of disbelief after the news broke out that one of his rivals in the 2016 presidential elections, Rodrigo Duterte,聽 had actually asked voters to vote for him.

鈥淭otoo ba yan? Kasi wala akong personal knowledge (Is that true? I have no personal knowledge鈥�),鈥� said Roxas.

In his speech in Boracay, President Duterte said 鈥渧ote for Roxas鈥� so we would know if he can do something against illegal drugs.

鈥淰ote for Roxas, Ilonggo eh. Iboto ninyo, walang problema 鈥榶an,鈥� Duterte pleaded. 鈥淭atakbo siguro 鈥榶an si Roxas uli eh. Sige why don鈥檛 you try para makita ninyo. You can only measure a man鈥檚 stamina for doing a particular activity for his fellowmen.鈥�

If true, Roxas said he would want to thank the President.

Rebuild the nation

According to Roxas, 聽his decision to run for the 2019 midterm elections was not intended to exact revenge against the current administration but to take part in endeavors that would solve the country鈥檚 pressing problems.

鈥淜atulad ng sinabi ko, 聽tumatakbo ako para sa Senado hindi bilang Round 2 ng 2016, kundi para makatulong lutasin mga problemang hinaharap ng mga Pilipino. Malinaw naman sa akin: there鈥檚 no reason why Filipinos should not progress. I want to go back to public service so I can help with this,鈥� Roxas said.

Robredo reaction

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo said 聽Duterte鈥檚 encouragement for people to vote for Roxas was an explicit endorsement that affirms the qualification of the former Interior Secretary.

Roxas, who lost to Duterte in the 2016 presidential elections, is gunning for a return to the Senate in the 2019 midterm polls.

鈥淢asayang balita iyan (That鈥檚 good news).聽聽Masayang balita na in-endorse ni Pangulong Duterte si Secretary Mar for the Senate (It鈥檚 good that President Duterte had endorsed Roxas for the Senate).聽聽This is an affirmation that he is very much qualified鈥�,鈥� Robredo said.

According to Robredo, she only heard about Duterte鈥檚 statements from reporters. She also thinks Roxas was not aware of Duterte鈥檚 remarks about his candidacy.

鈥淗indi niya sa akin naikuwento. First-time ko actually narinig na in-endorse siya ni Pangulong Duterte,鈥� she said.

Roxas is one of the eight candidates of the Oposisyon Koalisyon (OK), a team-up between various political parties including LP, Akbayan Partylist, Magdalo Partylist, Aksyon Demokratiko, and Tindig Pilipinas.聽Inquirer Libre with a report from Gab Lalau/ac