MANILA — Samar Representative and Liberal Party (LP) Secretary General Mel Senen Sarmiento on Wednesday said LP would only use “positive campaign” in securing public support for the presidential bid of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas even as he called on other presidential wannabes to refrain from using black propaganda, dirty tricks and political mudslinging.
“It is just sad that some people are using name-calling and foul personal attacks to bring down their perceived political rivals. We at LP are not only committed to reform the old and corrupt system of governance but we are also working hard to also change our prevailing political culture. Mar Roxas and the entire LP team will campaign based on what we have done and what we intend to do,” Sarmiento said.
He said that Roxas’ campaign would focus on the things that he had accomplished both as a public servant and as the most trusted “wingman” of President Benigno S. Aquino III in running the government.
Because of the many accomplishments of the Aquino administrations that turned the Philippines into one of the fastest rising economies in Southeast Asia, the LP official said that Roxas would never run out of campaign materials highlighting his track record and his commitment to carry on the reforms and programs of President Aquino’s “Tuwid na Daan” government.
“LP will only use positive propaganda in our campaign for the 2016 elections. Our message will be the track record of our candidates and our platform of government,” Sarmiento said.
In the meantime, the administration lawmaker stressed that LP has nothing to do with the filing of disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe who is deemed as a possible presidential contender in 2016.
He said the filing of a disqualification case filed against Poe by Rizalito David was obviously a “false flag” tactic to provoke hostility between the LP and the camp of Senator Poe.
“It was obvious that the real culprits are trying to pin the blame on LP political affairs chair and Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice because after the filing, a text blast quickly followed naming him as the one who gave the filing fee to Mr. David. That’s a classic false flag tactic which was used by the Germans to justify their invasion of Poland,” Sarmiento said.
He also pointed out that Roxas’ presidential bid should not get in the way with the government’s anti-corruption campaign despite efforts by some political personalities to draw a connection between the 2016 elections and their legal problems due to alleged involvement in various cases of graft and corruption.
“The wheels of justice cannot stop grinding just because it’s election next year. The Office of the Ombudsman is a Constitutional body that was designed precisely to be insulated from partisan politics. There is no basis therefore to claim that all these cases of corruption that are being filed before the Sandiganbayan is politically motivated,” Sarmiento said.
He said that blaming the Liberal Party for the series of investigations and legal actions on personalities allegedly involved in corruption likewise did not hold water because there had been instances where key members of LP were actually among those who were recommended to face graft charges.
“This is an exercise of the government’s mandate to stop corruption in all levels and without fear or favor. LP and the Aquino administration will not resort to black propaganda to bring down other candidates in the 2016 presidential elections,” Sarmiento said.