MANILA, Philippines – It was a rough week for the coalition of the President.

From accusations questioning the intentions of Team PNoy campaign manager Franklin Drilon, to the church’s attacks on some of its bets, the coalition of President Benigno Aquino III was victim to mudslinging from various parties.

But Team PNoy refused to fire back.

In a press conference on Monday, February 25, Drilon chose not to react to criticisms — a move followed by the coalition’s spokespersons — and instead appealed for a saner approach to the campaign.

“I will not dignify those statements because I am not a candidate,” Drilon said. “They are barking up the wrong tree.”

On Sunday, February 24, Toby Tiangco, campaign manager of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), accused Drilon of pushing for a 12-0 win for Team PNoy because of his supposed bid for the Senate presidency.

Drilon said the issues of the elections should not be focused on him, but on principles of parties such as Team PNoy’s commitment to good governance. He also mentioned laying to rest other issues that have dominated headlines such as the 3 previously common candidates of Team PNoy and UNA, a topic that visibly irked Drilon in past sorties.

He refused to respond to Tiangco directly, brushing off reporters’ questions on the matter.

“Let’s move on and discuss what people are looking for. What this campaign is all about,” he said.

Respecting the church

Also last week, the Diocese of Bacolod urged Negrenses on Thursday, February 21, to junk 5 of the administration’s senatorial candidates for supporting the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill, specifically re-electionists Chiz Escudero, Loren Legarda, and Alan Peter Cayetano, former Akbayan Rep Risa Hontiveros, and Aurora Rep Sonny Angara.

UNA only had one bet on the candidates the church called “Team Patay” — Cagayan Rep Jack Enrile.

Angara, who was present at the press conference, also refused to respond negatively to being tagged as anti-life, and asked that the mudslinging stop.

“The bigger threat to our democracy is poverty and lack of opportunities in the country. That’s what we should be asking about, not mudslinging. That’s part of trapo politics,” he said.

Drilon added the coalition disagrees with the church but did not retort back.

“We are saddened by that decision but we will respect it,” he said. “Leave it to the people to decide.”

Despite the attack, however, Angara admitted he is “concerned but not worried,” and said he trusts Catholics will not be single-issue voters.

Team PNoy spokesperson Miro Quimbo also asked the electorate to look at candidates’ track record rather than their perspectives on just the RH bill, and supported calls to elevate the conversation surrounding the campaign. 

He expressed confidence that once the discussion looks more at platforms and principles, Team PNoy will be even more successful.

“Like what we always say, the reason why we’re confident is because the coalition is based on the set program of the President. There’s an overriding philosophy behind it which is ‘tuwid na daan,'” he said. – Rappler.com