Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas is mobbed by supporters during his arrival yesterday at the LP proclamation rally held at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas declared he does not need the backing of influential political clans in Cebu as he believed that having the support of ordinary Cebuano voters is enough.
“Yung mga malalaking pamilya, ibigay mo na sa kanila (You can give the big-named families to them),” Roxas said in an interview yesterday, when asked to react to reports that his two opponents for the presidency, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and Sen. Grace Poe, are backed by the Garcia and the Durano families, respectively.
“Ako kakampi ko mamamayang Pilipino (My allies are the Filipino people),” he told reporters in an interview yesterday at the sidelines of his visit to the shipyard of Evercast Asia Inc. in Lapu-Lapu City.
Roxas said he believed that Filipinos will vote for the one whom they believe will provide them and their children a better future and not because the choice is dictated by influential political clans.
The Garcia family, in a general assembly of their local party One Cebu last month, formally endorsed and supported the candidacy of Binay.
The Bakud (Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya) Party led by the Durano family has yet to announce their choice for president, but fifth district Rep. Ace Durano and his brother, Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon “Red” Durano VI, have both publicly declared preference for Poe.
Roxas also downplayed the decision of some local officials in Bohol and Cebu to switch alliance from LP to UNA or other political parties.
“Kung meron man ay iilan lang ito. Sa pangkalahatan, kayo (media) naman mismo kinover niyo, ay nakita ninyo na buong-buo, solid na solid ang pangkat ng Daang Matuwid sa Bohol at dito sa Cebu; sa buong Pilipinas,” he said.
(There were only some. In general, you (media) who covered it, have seen that the Daang Matuwid group is intact and solid in Bohol and here in Cebu; in the whole Philippines.)
Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña who is gunning to regain the city’s mayoral seat, however, said he was not at all bothered by the comment of Roxas.
Osmeña said Roxas does not need the backing of influential political families in Cebu.
“Cebu belongs to the Cebuanos. It does not belong to the Osmeñas or any family,” he said.
Roxas, meanwhile, was mum on how he would respond to reports that some LP leaders were either openly or secretly backing other presidential candidates.
Roxas, while at Evercast Asia Inc., addressed the close to 30 employees of the shipbuilding company and said that the use of modern technology in building ships at the company was the product of the Aquino administration’s Daang Matuwid (straight path) thrust.
Evercast is using the computer-aided design (CAD) in its ship design as well as in its manufacturing process of cutting fiberglass through the use of computers.
Roxas promised to institute policies supportive to shipbuilding companies under his presidency.
Roxas was barnstorming in Cebu along with his running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and the LP senatorial slate. They were joined by President Aquino during the LP rally at the Mandaue Cultural and Sports Complex at 5p.m.
Today, Roxas and Robredo will continue their campaign sortie in southwestern Cebu with a visit to Toledo City and Dumanjug town.
On the other hand, Roxas assured he would not allow that government vehicles would be used in his campaign.
He issued this statement in response to a photo that went viral on social media which showed a government vehicle in Cebu that was covered with “Daang Matuwid” posters, the campaign slogan of the LP standard bearer.