Legarda says Roxas tried to edge her out of VP race
March 10, 2010 10:35 pm
MANILA, March 10 –- Senator Loren Legarda, running mate of Nacionalista Party presidential bet Manny Villar, revealed on Wednesday that Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas attempted to broker a deal that would see her withdrawing from the race.
In an interview on Wednesday with Mike Enriquez over DZBB’s Ikaw Na Ba?: The Vice-Presidentials Series, Legarda said the offer was made before the Senate adjourned in February.
“Back when I had yet to find my running mate, Mar tried to make an arrangement with me ‘outside of the political process’,” she said.
As she passed by his desk inside the Senate session hall, Roxas told her: "If there's any way that you can support my principal (LP presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino) and me, if there's anything you want, we can provide."
At that time, she did not know what Roxas meant exactly. So she replied: “Please don’t talk to me in riddles.”
She later recounted this to her political advisers who told her that it was something like an “exchange deal.”
“I put my heart and soul into this,” she said. “There is no backing out for me. For Mar, the vice presidency was just a second choice because he was gunning for the presidency before. For me, the bid for the vice presidency is the natural continuation of my years in public service and my work to improve the lives of Filipinos by focusing on food security, jobs, health, peace and order, and a livable environment.”
Legarda remained confident that her ratings would pick up in the remaining days of the campaign, despite recent surveys showing her trailing a bit behind Roxas.
”I’m not worried,” she told Enriquez in the same interview.
She pointed out that Roxas started campaigning earlier than she did. That was the reason why his ratings had been slightly higher.
Legarda had a consistently high rating in past elections, a base that she’s now counting on and she hopes to add to that by attracting some of the still undecided voters.
Like Villar, Legarda said she also getting black propaganda including text messages saying that she planned to submit a bill revoking benefits given to teachers, soldiers, policemen, and nurses. (PNA) V3/jfm/pr
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