Spreading rumors is not in Mar Roxas’ character, according to a Liberal Party spokesperson. INQUIRER PHOTO
It is not in Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas’ character to spread lies against his longtime friends, an LP spokesperson has said in reaction to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that Roxas’ camp is behind the rumors about his alleged throat cancer.
“Wala po sa pagkatao ni Secretary Mar na magpakalat ng mga ganitong storya, lalo na tungkol sa isang taong matagal na niyang kaibigan,” LP spokesperson and Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez said in a statement on Friday.
Duterte, in a radio interview, admitted he was disappointed at the camp of his “friend” Roxas for spreading rumors that he was not joining the presidential race as he was suffering from throat cancer.
It was journalist Philip Lustre Jr. who first posted on Facebook about Duterte’s alleged illness, saying that a reliable source told him that Duterte had cancer of the throat.
Lustre’s source also claimed that Duterte’s family was preventing him to run for presidency because they did not want the mayor’s illness to worsen.
When Lustre’s claims reached him, Duterte called the journalist “mentally impotent” and challenged him to check his medical condition.
“This misunderstanding between Former Secretary Mar Roxas and his longtime friend Davao Mayor Digong Duterte is very unfortunate. Mismong si Philip Lustre na ang nagsabing hindi siya konektado sa kampo ni Secretary Roxas,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez added that Roxas was sensitive when it came to discussing the serious illness as his father Gerardo and brother Dinggoy died of cancer.
“Kung maaalala natin, biktima ng kanser ang pumanaw nyang ama at kapatid kaya sensitibo ang issue na ito sa kanya,” he said.
Duterte made clear in the interview that he had no intention of running for the presidency.
When asked what he thought about the presidential candidates, Duterte said “disciplining Roxas’ people” would be “very costly” for the LP’s bet.
But Duterte clarified that he was not campaigning against Roxas, saying the LP standard-bearer was his friend. Julliane Love de Jesus/RC
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