Escudero: Firm hiring lawyers to support Roxas’ presidential bid
A law firm is allegedly recruiting lawyers to support the presidential bid of former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, according to Sen. Francis Escudero.
Escudero, running mate of Sen. Grace Poe in the 2016 elections, said this a day after linking lawyer Estrella Elamaparo, who filed the disqualification case against Poe at the Commission on Elections, to Roxas’ camp.
He earlier said Elamparo was connected to Divina Law Office, which was used by former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, who he said was helping Roxas.
This time, however, Escudero claimed it was not only Elamparo, but the law firm itself, that was connected to Roxas.
“Si Dean Amado Valdez, of counsel ng Divina Law Office. Kung baga mula sa isang law office, dala-dalawa at hiwalay na disqualification cases ang finile nila laban kay Sen. Grace Poe,” he said at a press conference in Surigao on Friday.
Valdez was a petitioner in another disqualification case also filed at the Comelec.
Asked if the law firm was connected to Roxas, Escudero said: “They are supporting Secretary Roxas. In fact, they are recruiting lawyers for (him).”
If Elamparo had no other motives in filing the case against Poe other than clean the list of those running for president, Escudero asked, why did she not file the same complaint against obvious nuisance candidates?
“Saan nanggagaling ang hugot nya laban kay Sen. Grace?” he asked.
But he said he expected that Elamparo or Roxas would not admit they had something to do with the cases against Poe.
“Syempre ide-deny nila palagi yan,” Escudero said, though he noted how Roxas’ allies kept on saying Poe would be disqualified from the race.
“Kung talagang wala silang alam o kinalaman, eh di tigilan na rin ho nila iyon. Dahil nagmumula mismo sa bibig ng kanilang mga lider ang pagyayabang kaugnay sa paniguruhan na madidisqualify na rin si Sen. Grace sa darating na eleksyon—sa Comelec o sa Korte Suprema man,” he said.
“Basta sa parte namin, sino man ang nasa likod niyan—sila man o kung sino mang Pontio Pilato, basta haharapin po ni Sen. Grace ang mga kasong iyan hanggang makamit namin ang hustisya,” he added. RC
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