MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) came to the defense of its chief, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, who is accused of using public funds for “ads designed in helping his 2016 bid.”

“As far as the DILG is concerned, no such ads exist in any of the provinces in both Visayas and Mindanao,” said DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero in a statement on Thursday, October 30.

On Wednesday, the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)’s interim secretary general Jose Virgilio Bautista accused Roxas of airing radio and television advertisements allegedly funded by the DILG.

“It is pretty obvious that these radio plugs and TV ads are intended to gain political mileage for Mar Roxas,” Bautista said in a statement, adding that the ads were “heavily aired in the Visayas and Mindanao regions in the guise of sponsored time-checks, AOBs and infomercials.”

Bautista added they have recorded the alleged ads that say, “This time check is brought to you by DILG Secretary Mar Roxas,” followed by negative reports pertaining to Vice President Jejomar Binay “in the guise of news bulletins.”

Panadero said, however, that “no public funds were used for such purposes.”

UNA, which is led by Vice President Jejomar Binay, has not released the supposedly recorded ads.

Roxas is the perceived presidential bet of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) for the 2016 elections. The DILG chief, who gave way to then Senator Benigno Aquino III as 2010 LP standard bearer, has yet to announce his plans for 2016.

In contrast, Binay is the only candidate who has announced his presidential bid.  He continues to lead all potential candidates in the 2016 presidential race based on independent polls, and is hoping to get the President’s endorsement as his successor.

The Vice President, however, is facing his biggest corruption scandal to date. He is accused of amassing ill-gotten wealth by rigging bids and getting kickbacks during his stint as Makati mayor. He has denied all the accusations.

Binay had earlier accused Roxas of being the brains behind a so-called scheme to ruin his chances in 2016, a claim Roxas has denied. – Rappler.com