Poe: No preferential treatment to businessmen-supporters

Senator Grace Poe says it is no secret that businessman Danding Cojuangco is supporting her bid for the presidency. INQUIRER FILES

Presidential aspirant Grace Poe promised no “preferential treatment” to businessmen helping her campaign amid attempts to link him with businessman tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco.

Poe said it was no secret that Cojuangco, who founded the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), was supporting her presidential bid in May. The NPC leadership earlier endorsed the candidacies of Poe and her running mate, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

READ: Duterte camp calls Poe a ‘puppet’ for defending Danding Cojuangco on coco levy | Grace defends Danding on coco levy

Asked in an interview in Iloilo about the “Poejuangco” being floated by her detractors, Poe said: “Hindi naman totoo ‘yan.”

“Unang-una, ‘yung Arroyo, alam ko kung sino ang kandidatong kadikit niya, pero huwag na nating sabihin at alam ko kilala niyo kung sino. Tingnan na lang niyo ‘yung mga manunulat na kampi sa kandidato na ito, malalaman ninyo.”

“Yung Cojuangco, hindi ko naman tinatago na sila ay sumuporta sa akin. Remember, sumuporta rin sila sa maraming kandidato at kasama na rin ang ating pangulo na kamag-anak nila, ‘di ba?” she said, referring to President Benigno Aquino III. Cojuangco is Aquino’s uncle.

What is important, she said, is that an assurance that the businessmen or any one supporting her presidential bid would not get a preferential treatment from her should she get elected president.

“Sa aking trabaho sa Senado, wala akong binigyan ng preferential treatment [sa] mga negosyante ‘pag wala namang dahilan na sila ay protektahan, lalong-lalo na kung patas lang ang laban,” said Poe.

“Yon lang ang ipinapangako ko sa lahat, level playing field, patas na laban para sa lahat. Tumulong ka man sa akin o kaaway mo ako, basta wala kang nilabag sa batas, hindi naman kita didiinin. Pero didiinin kita ‘pag may ginawa kang mali,” the senator added.