Roxas to Duterte: I’m not behind black propaganda against you

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines – “Sa aking kaibigan, kay Mayor Digong, masasabi ko po sa inyo: Matitingnan ko po kayo mata sa mata. Wala po akong kinalaman sa kahit anong black propaganda laban sa iyo.“

(To my friend, Mayor Digong, let me say this: I can look you straight in the eye. I have nothing to do with any black propaganda against you.)

With these words, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II on Saturday, October 17, denied accusations that his camp was behind the smear campaign against popular Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

In an interview with reporters after the oath taking of new LP members in this city, Roxas said he was surprised by the accusations made by Duterte, his friend, in a radio interview on Friday.

Speaking to radio station dzMM, Duterte hit Roxas for allegedly failing to control a supposed member of his public relations team, whom he accused of spreading a rumor that he had throat cancer.

The rumor surfaced in September after journalist Philip Lustre Jr wrote that Duterte was resisting calls to run for president because he has cancer.

Roxas assured the Davao mayor that he would not allow nor condone such practices in his camp.

“Masasabi ko sayo, kaibigang Digong, peksman, wala akong kinalaman kay (Philip) Lustre o sa sinulat niya, at hinding-hindi ko pinayagan, hindi ko kukunsintihin ang ganoong gawain,” he said.

(I can tell you, my friend Digong, cross my heart, I have nothing to do with Lustre or what he had written about, and I never allowed, I will never tolerate, those kinds of actions.)

‘Not in my character’

He also said it was not in his character to resort to black propaganda, especially against someone he considered a long-time friend.

“Matagal po tayong magkakilala, magkaibigan, at alam naman po ninyo ang ugali ko. Hindi ako papayag sa ganoong uri ng gawain, lalo na sa iyo na tinuturing kong isang matalik na kaibigan,” he said.

Roxas stressed that he would not use such a sensitive issue to attack other politicians. His father and brother died of cancer.

The administration’s standard bearer also raised the possibility that the target of the black propaganda might have been him, not Duterte.

In his years as a public official, Roxas claimed that he has never resorted to black propaganda in his political campaigns.

“Maaaring bahagi ito ng black propaganda laban sa akin na kung anu-ano ang binabato sa akin (This may be part of the black propaganda against me. I’ve been hit with so many issues),” he said.

“Alam naman po ninyo na halos 20 taon po akong nasa serbisyo publiko. Wala tayong track record ng ganoong ugali o gawain, so bakit ngayon bigla may mga report na ganoon na hindi naman totoo?” he added.

(You know that I’ve been in public service for almost 20 years. I don’t have a track record of having that trait, so why it is only now that there are such false reports?)

Asked if he has spoken with Duterte to clarify the issue, Roxas said he has sent text messages. He declined to say what they talked about or if the mayor responded. – Rappler.com