President Benigno S. Aquino III is the guest of honor in the El Shaddai Charismatic Renewal Movement 31st anniversary celebration, coinciding with the 76th birthday of its spiritual leader-founder Mariano Z. Velarde, also known as Brother Mike, at the El Shaddai House of Prayer at Amvel Business Park in Paranaque City Sunday morning, (August 23). Accompanying the President are DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas III and DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Liberal Party standard bearer and outgoing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas denied knowing anything about the fake 500-peso bills that were distributed to members of the media at the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Bearing Roxas’ face, the fake bills were placed in white envelopes with the inscriptions in front “Salapi pa more!!! and at the back “Ibulsa ang pera, iboto ang kursonada.”
The return address of the envelopes is “HTA Inc., New Manila, Quezon City.”
After his speech at the 44th Founding Anniversary of Quirino Province, Roxas told reporters: “It’s fake at dapat na ipadala ito sa pulis, sa NBI, para maipakita kung sino ang nagka-counterfeit nito.”
Asked if this would affect his candidacy, Roxas said “no,” adding, “Why will it affect our candidacy? Wala naman kaming kinalaman. Obviously it is ah … pakawala ng … ating mga kalaban at palagay ko wala namang naniniwala na totoo iyang mga kumakalat na iyan.”
In Malacañang meanwhile, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. described the distribution of the fake P500-peso bills as part of the “negative campaigning” against the administration’s presidential bet.
“What you described is apparently the handiwork of those who wish to portray Secretary Roxas in a bad light,” he said.
“[It] depicts their [political opponents] preference to engage in negative campaigning which is diametrically opposed to our advocacy of Daang Matuwid,” he added.
At the Quezon province event, Roxas also declined to comment on the possibility that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would be his vice president for the 2016 elections.
Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III said he would be talking to Duterte during his trip to Davao.
But Roxas said he did not have the chance to talk to Duterte when he and Aquino were in Davao on Wednesday.
From the Quirino Capitol Tourism and Sports Complex, Roxas proceeded to Solano, Isabela for a radio interview there.(MNS)