Erice clarifies: I’m not blaming Noy; Mar remains loyal to LP

MANILA, Philippines — The campaign manager of senatorial candidate Mar Roxas has clarified that he was not blaming former president Benigno Aquino III for Roxas’ defeat in the 2016 presidential polls, stressing that they remain loyal to the Liberal Party (LP).

“I am not blaming pres PNoy (former president Aquino), he is very close to me. I simply replied to a query on why we are wearing blue and I simply answered that we have to establish our own identity considering my notion that last 2016 the perception on Mar is that he is a Robin and Robin can never be a Batman,” Caloocan 2nd district Rep. Edgar Erice said in a message sent to reporters, Monday.

“It’s about strategy and not to pinpoint somebody,” he added.

Erice said he and Roxas remain loyal to the LP and the opposition political party’s core principles.

“Mar and I are loyal to the LP and we remain true to our core principles, we may have some difference on how to cope with the present situation but our hearts and minds are with LP,” he said.

Erice’s clarification came after actress Kris Aquino slammed him for supposedly blaming her older brother for Roxas’ defeat in the 2016 presidential elections.

“Really – to blame his loss on my brother?” Kris said in a now-archived Instagram post on Sunday. “So pati ba pagkatalo sa 2010 kasalanan din ni Noy?”

READ: Kris Aquino twits Mar Roxas aide: Don’t blame Noy for defeat

In an interview with the Inquirer, the Caloocan congressman said their decision to change Roxas’ campaign color from yellow– associated with LP– to blue was “needed to get away from (Aquino’s) shadow.”

“It was a conscious decision [to change colors] because one mistake [Roxas] made in 2016 was acting like Robin to [Aquino’s] Batman … and Robin will never be Batman,” Erice added.

READ: Otso handlers: Struggle is real; last stretch will be ugly

Opposition senatorial bets Erin Tañada, Gary Alejano, and Samira Gutoc have downplayed the issue, insisting that they would like to focus on more important issues the country faces.

“Hindi po ito tinitignan namin as a problema. May mas malaking problema ang taumbayan… So it does not affect us…” Tañada said.

“Tingin ko opinyon lamang ‘yun ng campaign manager ni Mar Roxas at nakaraan na eh, tapos na. Ang Otso Diretso at ang indibidwal na myembro ng Otso Diretso ay hindi naka-base sa istorya ng Liberal Party o ni President Aquino,” Alejano added. /je

READ: Opposition unfazed by Mar – Noy ‘rift’, says focus is on public issues