DAVAO CITY – A militant labor group said President Benigno Aquino III’s endorsement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas is only meant to grant Aquino immunity after his term ends.
Elmer Labog, national chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno said Aquino’s expected endorsement of Roxas is “an exercise of damage control.”
Labog said the President is “suffering from ‘Erap-Gloria-phobia’.”
“Tomorrow, Pres. Noynoy Aquino is expected to formally and publicly endorse DILG Secretary Mar Roxas as his presidential bet in the 2016 elections. This is already part of the course and may be an (standard operating procedure) at this point,” Labog said.
“Roxas has already been damaged by Aquino’s meetings with Sen. Grace Poe, currently one of the leading presidentiables. The meetings gave the unmistakable impression that Poe is the candidate to beat and that Roxas would likely lose if she runs for president,” he said.
Labog said Aquino “was forced to make a gamble in holding meetings with Poe. The root cause: his desire to make Roxas win at all cost in order to ensure his immunity from suits and imprisonment after his term’s end.”
“The gamble did not pay off and now Roxas is paying the price. Poe seems to have rejected Aquino’s offer to become Roxas’ vice-presidential candidate and seems bent to seek the presidency,” he said.
Labog said they are expecting the president’s allies to “conduct a dirty campaign to destroy Roxas’ opponents.”(davaotoday.com)
