Palace: 2016 elections will push through

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda

MANILA — Following an earlier statement which sparked the “no-election” rumors, Malacañang yesterday clarified that there will be elections in 2016.

“The President has neither decided on term extension or endorsing a candidate. In both instances, 2016 elections will push through.” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, said.

The statement was made after Lacierda made a statement to TV reporters that the president will have to announce the candidate he will endorse “suppose the 2016 elections will push through.”

“Let’s wait for the endorsement of the President kung sino ang kanyang kandidato sa 2016 kung sakaling itutuloy ang 2016 elections,” Lacierda was quoted saying.

His words then, sparked issues that there would be no elections, or “no-el” in 2016.

Critics of the administration considered his statement a slip of the tongue, which alarmed some of the anti-term extension groups. 

Lacierda, meanwhile, dismissed the allegations adding that the government is focused on addressing the problems that the country is currently facing. 

“If you want to know if there’s something I’d like to emphasize, if there’s one thing that the Aquino legacy is all about: it’s about honesty and integrity in government service,” Lacierda said.