Presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe and running mate Sen Francis Escudero take time for photos with townspeople as they visited Aguinid Falls in Samboan town yesterday morning. (CDN PHOTO/CARMEL LOISE MATUS)
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Saturday said President Aquino should not have endorsed any candidate in the May elections to show that the polls will indeed be fair.
“Nalungkot ako ng bahagya nung nagpasya si Pangulong Aquino na mag-endorso ng kandidato (I was slightly sad when President Aquino decided to endorse a candidate),” he told a news conference at the rest house of Mayor Raymond Calderon of Samboan town, about 140 km south of Cebu City.
“Mas maganda sana kung wala hindi dahil si Sen. Grace and inendorso niya or ako pero mas maganda sana kung pinangasiwaan na lang ng Pangulo, sinupervise at inoversee niya ang isang malinis at patas na halalan (It would have been better if he hadn’t, not because he did not endorse Senator Grace or me. It would have been better if the President just supervise and oversee the conduct of clean and fair elections),” he added.
Escudero, who is running for vice president, and his running mate, presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe were in Cebu on Saturday, a day after the two-day sortie of administration standard bearer Mar Roxas and running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo in this vote-rich province.
IMPARTIAL
Escudero said President Aquino should have stayed impartial to show that the May 9 elections would be fair and honest because the Chief Executive was not endorsing any candidate.
Escudero said the government’s program — Daang Matuwid (straight path) – would have best exemplified the ideals of fair play had the President not been involved in the campaign.
“Ang tuwid na daan ay parehas at patas ang laban. Kaya ipinagbawal ng Constitution ang reelection ng isang pangulo para hindi niya magamit yung opisina niya para sa pangangampanya (The straight path means fair fight. This is the reason why the Constitution does not allow the reelection of a sitting president so he could not use his office in the campaign),” he said.
President Aquino has been actively campaigning for Roxas and Robredo and even appeared in their television commercials.
He attended the Liberal Party rallies in Tagbilaran City, Bohol and Mandaue City in Cebu on March 2 and 3.
CABINET
Since the President was supporting Roxas and Robredo, Escudero said Mr. Aquino was also inviting his Cabinet secretaries to back his candidates.
“Imbes na maasikaso ng mga cabinet secretaries ang problema ng bansa, andito sila kasama ng kandidato ng Liberal Party nangangampanya. (Instead of attending to the problems of the country, the Cabinet secretaries are here busy campaigning with the candidate of the Liberal Party),” he said.
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