Roxas to meet media anew over controversial YouTube videos

Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II will face the media anew on Tuesday afternoon to speak in his defense on the “videos peddling in the social media” showing him and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez having a heated discussion.

After a video of the meeting attended by Roxas and Romualdez circulated in the social media, Roxas drew the ire of netizens and critics. The 43-minute video was uploaded Tuesday on YouTube by one “Cito Beltran.”

The video clip was supposedly a recording of a meeting between Roxas and Romualdez last November14, about a week after Supertyphoon Yolanda flattened Eastern Visayas.

Earlier, an 18-second excerpt from the video made rounds on the web and the Interior secretary was heard saying, “You have to understand. You are a Romualdez and the President is an Aquino. If it’s not legalized, then OK you are in charge and we’ll help you then that’s it … (unintelligible) bahala na kayo sa buhay n’yo  (laughter).”

On the same day, he met the media to dispute Romualdez’ statement accusing the administration of foot-dragging in rescuing thousands of Leyte constituents affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda in a congressional committee Monday.

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