Vice presidential aspirant Sen. Francis Escudero on Saturday downplayed the rise of his rival Liberal Party bet Leni Robredo in recent preference surveys, saying the latter was supported by the money and machinery of the ruling coalition, which he did not have.
鈥淪i Congresswoman Leni suportado ng administrasyon, buong makinarya ng administrasyon at marami silang pera. Si Senator [Ferdinand] Marcos [Jr.] naman, maliwanag din marami siyang resources. Na lamang ako kahit .02 o .01 okay lamang 鈥檡on dahil sa dulo wala naman akong pera tulad nila, wala naman akong makinarya tulad nila,鈥� Escudero told reporters in Cebu City.
The Camarines Sur representative and widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo raked in five points in the latest Social Weather Stations survey and closed in on Escudero and Marcos, who were statistically tied for first place. Robredo and the son and namesake of the late dictator were statistically tied for second.
Escudero said he was happy that he was able to maintain his lead, considering his rivals鈥� campaign resources.
鈥淪o na ako鈥檡 nakakalamang nang konti pa, malaking bagay na sa akin 鈥榶on. Buti na lang ang pinanghahawakan namin sa kabila ng madami na silang pera, ang pinanghahawakan naman ni Senator Grace isang kasabihan: Ang pera may tao pero ang tao walang pera. Buti na lang tao ang nakakaboto at hindi ang pera,鈥� he said.
Escudero also met with Cebu mayoral candidate Tomas 鈥淭ommy鈥� Osme帽a of LP, whose wife was godmother in the senator鈥檚 wedding with actress Heart Evangelista, but maintained that it was a friendly visit and not politics-related.
鈥淭his is not a political visit, it鈥檚 a friendly visit. I have gained a lot of friends in politics for the past 17-18 years and I have yet to lose one friend because of politics. Magkaibigan kami bago mag eleksyon, bago ako tumakbo. And I鈥檓 of the firm belief that we will remain friends even after and beyond this particular election,鈥� he said.
Osme帽a has endorsed Robredo鈥檚 candidacy, but pointed out he would be 鈥�100 percent all out for Chiz鈥� if the former was not running.
鈥淵ou know, it鈥檚 not a declaration or anything but what we have right now is very fluid situation. And Leni is shooting up. But to me, by all means, I don鈥檛 like Bongbong to win as vice president,鈥� Osme帽a said. RC