Anyone but Roxas.
That seems to be the principle of presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte when he said that he will not support administration bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II should he and Senator Grace Poe will be disqualified from joining the presidential race next year.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Duterte said that instead of Roxas, he will support opposition leader Vice President Jejomar Binay for president.
“I don’t care kung ma-disqualify ako but this much I can say: I do not have any respect for you (Roxas)… Kapag na-disqualify si Grace, na-disqualify ako, I will campaign for Binay. Binay na ako then I will tell the Filipino people why you should not [be president],” Duterte said.
The tough-talking mayor continued his verbal offensive against Roxas, saying that the camp of the administration bet is the source of all the black propaganda being hurled against him.
Believing that it was Roxas’ camp who leaked the rumor that he is suffering from cancer, Duterte urged the electorate not to vote for the former Interior secretary.
“Ikaw (Roxas) yung nagba-black propaganda eh. Buti pa si Binay, tumahimik na lang. If it all goes well, baka manalo pa siya. I am now telling the Filipino people: yung gumagamit ng black propaganda, iwasan niyo yan. What is the style of Roxas? You paint your opponent black so you will appear white,” he added.
Duterte and Roxas are engaged in a bitter word war which has since downgraded into threats of physical violence. The verbal tussle between the two presidential contenders started when Roxas downplayed the tag of Davao City as a safe city. Duterte then retorted and claimed that Roxas was not a graduate of the prestigious Wharton business school.
The fiesty mayor is facing a disqualification case before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as his substitution to former Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) standard bearer Martin Diño is being questioned over an erroneous entry in the latter’s certificate of candidacy.
Meanwhile, Poe is facing four disqualification cases against her before the poll body. Two divisions have already granted motions canceling her COC on the grounds of her allegedly questionable citizenship and her supposed failure to satisfy the 10-year residency requirement for the presidency.