Liberal Party (LP) chairman President Benigno S. Aquino III raises the hands of the administration senate slate for the 2016 national elections during the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid: Ang Pagpapakilala at the Balay Expo Centro Building in EDSA corner McArthur Avenue, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City on Monday (October 12). The 12 senatorial bets includes COOP NATCCO party-list Representative Cresente Paez; Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) director and former Akbayan party-list Representative Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel; former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Emmanuel “Joel” Villanueva; former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla; Senator Ralph Recto; Senate President Franklin Drilon; former Senator and former food security czar Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan; former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima; Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary for Muslim Affairs and Special Concerns Nariman Ambolodto; Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III; and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) general manger and chief operating officer Mark Lapid. Also in photo are LP Presidential Candidate former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II; LP Vice Presidential Candidate Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo; and LP vice chairman and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Friday denied that his camp was behind the negative advertisements against his fellow presidential candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay.
“Bakit ko gagastusan ‘yan? Eh hirap na nga ako gastusan ‘yung mga ads ko,” Roxas said.
The camp of Vice President and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer Binay earlier accused Roxas and the Liberal Party of being behind the ads where an elderly man was asking Binay to explain the corruption allegations against him.
However, on Tuesday, LP distanced itself from the issue, saying it would rather spend its money on its own candidates.
Roxas said records would show that Binay’s expenditures for television advertisements are more than his.
In contrast, Binay’s camp, through a text message of his spokesperson Joey Salgado said: “Report on political ad spending by AC Nielsen from Jan to December 2015 shows Mar Roxas is biggest ad spender. Poe: P694,603,000; Binay: P695,555,000; Roxas: P774,192,000; Duterte: P129,599,000.”
Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, LP political affairs chief, there was nothing new on being dragged into the issue about the anti-Binay ads.
Roxas and Binay have been fierce political rivals since the 2010 vice-presidential elections. Binay received 14,084,879 votes against Roxas’ 13,440,127 votes. (MNS)