THE Liberal Party, through Rep. Ben Evardone, on Thursday said President Benigno Aquino III will proclaim Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the “presidential candidate of the ruling Liberal Party in the May 9, 2016 elections,” and that such proclamation “will coincide with the birthday of Roxas’ mother.”
But election expert Romulo Macalintal on Thursday warned that the plan of the Aquino-led Liberal Party to proclaim Roxas as its standard bearer today may be illegal.
Macalintal made his statement even as Rep. Lito Atienza, a member of the the House Independent Minority Bloc, on Thursday said Aquino’s expected endorsement of Roxas would be a “kiss of death” because of Aquino’s sins.
Atienza cited the increase in the prices of rice from the previous administration’s P19-P20 a kilo against today’s P42-P46, the poor Metro Rail Transit service, the Mamasapano massacre and the delayed response to help typhoon Yolanda’s victims, among other things.
“It’s not only the failure of the government in Tacloban that will affect his power to endorse or the effects of his endorsement,” Atienza said.
“We believe that his [Aquino’s] failure in governing the country is affecting his endorsability, so let us not get excited about his endorsement or the coming endorsement of anyone.
“The President’s endorsement will not amount to much because this government has been very insensitive and not responding to the real problems of the people.”
Atienza said the price of rice today was P42-P46 a kilo when it used to be P19-P20 a kilo in the previous administration.
“Aren’t the people complaining about that? Our people are grumbling quietly and I am sure at the right time, during the campaign, all of these issues are going to be ventilated,” he said.
Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romuldez said the chosen one would not be able to use the slogan “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”
“The poor became poorer and there are more poor now than ever, so it means this was a result of more corruption,” Romualdez said.
While the Commission on Elections has yet to determine what electoral system to use in the 2016 elections, Macalintal warned that Aquino might face election offenses including premature political meetings.
“The following provisions of our election laws need further review by our political parties. As of now, we are not yet sure what electoral system will be implemented by the Comelec, whether manual or automated,” Macalintal said.
“Any violation of these provisions constitutes an election offense punishable by imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.”
So far, Macalintal said, the Comelec had not yet issued its calendar of activities to guide the parties and the public about what to do and what not to do.