Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang does not see cracks in Team PNoy amid allegations that one of its candidates was sabotaging re-electionist Senator Loren Legarda’s campaign through black propaganda.
President Benigno Aquino III’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, brushed aside talk of a possible breakup of the administration coalition and, at a Palace news briefing, shot down rumors that Legarda was dissatisfied with the Liberal Party-led administration slate.
“We believe that Senator Legarda is a team player,” said Lacierda, when asked if Legarda was being vilified because she had been topping surveys on voters’ senatorial preferences in the May 13 elections.
Legarda, a stalwart of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, has been at the receiving end of what she described as a vicious demolition job carried out through text messages and the social media.
On Thursday, a self-styled businessman called a press conference, questioning the accuracy of her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
Legarda responded by immediately calling a press conference on the same day, announcing that all her properties, including an apartment in New York bought by her former husband, had been declared in her SALNs since 2007.
“I will not run away when confronted with any alleged anomaly because I am a faithful public servant. This is yet another black propaganda because I could not be dislodged from being number one,” she added.
Lacierda, when asked if this political mudslinging was a prelude to the 2016 elections, said he expected this question to crop up, but quickly added: “It’s too early to speculate.”
Historically, senators who topped the senatorial race preceding a presidential election eventually ran for either president or vice president.
Asked during the Palace briefing if Legarda may have been referring to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the alleged source of the black propaganda, Lacierda said Team PNoy’s campaign team was in the best position to comment on this.
“Perhaps, they are the ones who could explain what Senator Loren Legarda is really saying,” said Lacierda.
When asked if Mr. Aquino himself was not bothered at all by these intrigues, Lacierda said: “I have yet to talk to President Aquino; he has been busy campaigning (for Team PNoy). But Senator Frank Drilon will respond to this because we are not really familiar with the details of the accusation of Senator Legarda.”
He said he could not “speak for the senators” when asked by a reporter if there were some “bad eggs” among Team PNoy members, although they were advocating the President’s “straight path” campaign.
“I can only speak for the President and the Cabinet members. As for the senators, we will leave it to them to release their statement of assets and liabilities and net worth. But, again, all of that will be filed with the Ombudsman,” he said.
At her press conference, Legarda announced that the media was “authorized” to ask for a copy of her SALN from the Senate.
Waving a certification from SGV accounting firm and ACCRA law firm, the senator branded as a “lie” and a “smear campaign” the allegation of non-disclosure in her SALN of a piece of real property in the United States.
“The certification I have in my hand, prepared by my lawyers, is clear: The Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) I filed in June 30, 2007 includes the New York property subject of the black propaganda, described as ‘Other Investment’ in Annex A, in the amount of P7,175,000 equal to one-fourth of the total investment in the acquisition of apartment amounting to P 28,700,000,” she said.
Beginning Dec. 31, 2007 up to December 31, 2010, the same property was also included on the SALN described as “Equity in Real Property,” also one-fourth of the total P 28,700,000, she said.
“As of Dec. 31, 2011 and December 31, 2012, the New York property was also included in my SALN described as “Real Property-USA,” she added.
She said it was “deplorable that people, possibly even some fellow candidates, could engage in such gutter politics, diverting people from the real issues.”
She did not give any specific name.