‘Mar Roxas’ withdraws

The namesake of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas on Thursday decided to withdraw his bid to become the country’s next president.

Manuel Antonio “Mar” Roxas filed a statement of withdrawal/cancellation of his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) law department.

“I really did not intend to run… I’m just a retired policeman,” Roxas told reporters in Filipino at the sidelines of the preliminary conference called by the Comelec for those facing motu proprio nuisance candidates petitions.

Motivation

Roxas, 67, admitted that his only motivation in filing his COC last month was for authorities to notice the case of his son, who has been detained for some 20 years now on a rape charge.

“From the start I know I’ll be declared as a nuisance candidate. I just want to be heard for the sake of my son,” said Roxas, who was clad in a bright yellow shirt, the same color identified with the ruling party.

“I just got this from my drawer, it has no meaning,” he said when asked about the color of his shirt.

The other “Mar Roxas” is among the 125 presidential aspirants facing motu proprio petitions from the Comelec to be declared as nuisance bets.

Aside from the motu proprio case, he is also facing a separate petition to declare as a nuisance candidate filed by the LP standard-bearer.

Nuisance

The former interior secretary, in his petition against Manuel Antonio Roxas, said the latter should be declared as a nuisance candidate as he is only running for president in a bid to sow confusion because they have the same nickname.

President Aquino’s preferred successor also said his namesake appears to have no known means to wage a national campaign for the position.

The petition filed by the former interior secretary also prompted the other “Mar Roxas” to withdraw his COC.

“I have no problem withdrawing my COC. I have no lawyer that’s why I don’t want complaints to be filed against me,” he said.