President Benigno S. Aquino III along with former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo and DILG Secretary Senen Sarmiento are prayed over by Bishop Francisco Santos and Bishop Jonel MIlan during the Thanksgiving Celebration and National Transformation Assembly of the Tarlac First Baptist Church. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Tuesday denied a newspaper report linking him to supposed attempts to bribe justices of the Supreme Court (SC) to disqualify one of his opponents in the presidential race, Senator Grace Poe.
“Walang katotohanan. Siyento por siyento, kasinungalingan ito. Unang-una, hindi namin gawain ‘yan. Pangalawa ay wala sa track record namin ang ganoong gawain, ang ganoong pag-iisip, ang ganoong pagtatangka,” Roxas told reporters in a chance interview.
Roxas, who was in Davao Region Tuesday, said he would rather focus on his campaign than pay attention to such baseless reports.
“Hindi ito parang pingpong na may mga wala namang basehan o wala namang tinuturo na ebidensiya, pero bigla na lang ay may paratang na ibabato o itatapon. So bakit namin papansinin ‘yan eh wala namang katotohanan ‘yan,” he said.
Roxas also pointed out that several appointed justices of President Benigno Aquino III appear to side in favor of Poe during the oral arguments.
“Sa question and answer … yung mga appointee ni Pangulong Aquino ang isa sa mga napaka-aktibo sa paglilitis na ginaganap ngayon sa Supreme Court. So walang katotohanan ito,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. also denied the newspaper report, describing it as “totally baseless and untrue.”
Citing unnamed sources, a Manila Times report on Tuesday said SC justices were allegedly offered P50 million each to vote in favor of the disqualification case against Poe.
According to the report, the first offer was made by a female lawyer who supports the candidacy of Roxas. It said the lawyer was a former Palace official and now works for a private law firm that is behind a “special operation” to have Poe disqualified.
The second attempt supposedly came from a legislator and his partner, a former businessman, close to both Aquino and Roxas.(MNS)