Escudero takes jab at Roxas: He could have done more for his province

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and former Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

ROXAS CITY—Vice presidential bet and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero took a jab at presidential bet and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who he said could have done more for his own province here considering the latter’s closeness to at least two former leaders and incumbent President Benigno Aquino III.

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“Alam nyo maswerte kayo sa mahabang panahon ang anak nyo naging napakalapit sa mga naging pangulo ng bansa natin, nakakatatlong termino na. Kung isusuma total natin ang term ni Pangulong Erap, ang term ni Pangulong Arroyo na mahigit kumulang siyam na taon at ang term ni Pangulong Aquino, mahigit 15 taon, malapit ang nag-iisang anak nyo sa nakaupo sa Malacañang,” Escudero said during a press conference here on Wednesday.

(You are lucky for a long time because your son (Roxas) has been close to presidents of our country, which spans three terms. If we will sum up the term of former President Erap (Joseph Estrada), the term of President (Gloria) Arroyo which was at least nine years and the term of President Aquino, that would be more than 15 years. Your only son has been close to Malacañang leaders.)

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The country’s leaders Escudero was referring to were former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and incumbent President Benigno Aquino III.

“Sino mang congressman, senador or kalihim na maibigyan ng isang taon lamang na maging malapit sa pangulo siguro hindi nyo na makikilala yung kanyang lalawigan mula sa pinagmulan noong bago magsimula ang isang taon na malapit sya sa pangulo,” Escudero said.

(Perhaps people will not be able to recognize the province where a congressman, senator or secretary came from if he or she will be given at least a year to be close to the president compared with the period before he became associated with the leader.)

READ: Did LP sabotage Poe-Escudero forum in Roxas bailiwick?

Asked by a Manila-based reporter whom he was referring to in particular, Escudero minced no words in saying that it was Roxas.

“Na malapit sa nagdaang pangulo? Si Secretary Roxas,” he said.

(One who has been close to the president? It’s Secretary Roxas.)

Asked again if he was saying that Roxas was inefficient and did nothing for Capiz, Escudero said: “Ang sinasabi ko, mas marami sana syang nagawa dito sa kanyang lalawigan kumpara sa nakikita natin dito.”

(What I’m saying is he could have done more for his province compared with what we are seeing here now.)

“At siguro huwag na akong tanungin nyo. Yung mga taga dito ang tanungin nyo sa mga inaasahan nilang pagbabago sana sa kanilang lalawigan dahil sa pagiging malalapit nya, dahil sa paninilbihan nya bilang kalihim—hindi bilang congressman, hindi bilang senador—bilang kalihim mismo at paborito ng nakaupong pangulo at kandidato ngayon ng nakaupong pangulo,” the senator added.

(And perhaps you don’t have to ask me. Ask the residents here about the change they were expecting in their province given that he (Roxas) is close to and served as a secretary of the president—not as a congressman or senator—but as a secretary and favorite of the incumbent president and his presidential bet.)

Escudero said among the priority needs of the province are infrastructures, water and redistribution of wealth.

“Hindi pwe-pwede na dito sa inyong lalawigan kokonti lamang ang mayayaman o konti lang ang may pera at sobrang dami ng mahihirap at ang laki ng agwat ng mayaman at mahirap,” he further said.

(It should not be the case in your province, that there are only few rich people and few have money and there are many poor here and the gap between the rich and the poor is very wide.)

Senator Grace Poe refused to say whether or not she agreed with her running mate’s opinion, noting that Roxas is her rival in the upcoming presidential race in May.

“Ito na lang ang masasabi ko, sa aming pamumuno mas marami pang benepisyo, mas marami pang mga development projects ang mararamdaman ng mga taga Capiz so yun na lang ang sa akin na ipapangako na kung ako mabibigyan ng pagkakataon siguro, mas maraming pwedeng matugunan na pangangailangan dito,” Poe said when it was her turn to face the media here.

(This is the only thing I can say. In our administration, many people will benefit, there will be more development projects that the residents of Capiz will feel so my promise is if I will be given the chance, there will be more needs to be addressed here.) RAM