Bam Aquino seeks end to mudslinging

INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines — Team PNoy senatorial candidate Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino on Tuesday called for an end to mudslinging, calling it “entertaining” but old-style politics.

Aquino was referring to former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri’s accusation that re-electionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s estranged wife, Jewel, was a battered spouse.

Aquino said Zubiri’s claim was “below the belt” but since the latter had apologized for making that statement, then he said the issue should now be put to rest.

“Palagay ko yung mga ganyang klase ng pulitika e, medyo lumang pulitika na yan e. Magbabanat kayo ng mga personal na bagay na hindi naman totoo at mas along lumilihis sa mga issues na dapat pinag-uusapan natin,” he told reporters at the sidelines of their sortie here at the Provincial Sports Complex.

(I think this is old fashioned politics. Making scandalous attacks that are not true will only side track the issues that we should deal with.)

“Yung mga ganitong klaseng away, syempre entertaining sya pero palagay ko at the end of the day, hindi makakatulong sa ating lahat yan e,” he said.

(This kind of fighting is entertaining but I think at the end of the day it would not help us all.)

Aquino noted, however, that no less than Zubiri recognized that candidates should now return to real campaign issues.

And Aquino hopes that Zubiri’s colleagues in the United Nationalist Alliance would follow suit.

“Let’s stick to the issue, let’s talk about [what can be done for the good of the country],” he pointed out.

Senator Franklin Drilon, campaign manager of Team PNoy, echoed Aquino’s call.

“We’ll, for me and my appeal is let’s elevate the campaign to a more issue-driven rather than personal attacks..,” Drilon said in a separate interview.

An advocate of women’s rights, another Team PNoy bet, former Senator Jamby Madrigal, also called on Zubiri not to resort to personal attacks.