BALAYAN, Batangas—Former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita expressed support for Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas and running mate Leni Robredo during the administration tandem’s visit in this vote-rich province.
The former Cabinet Secretary of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dismissed rumors that Arroyo told her allies to support Vice President Jejomar Binay for presidency.
“I was never talked to by the former President about that,” he said in a chance interview as the crowd waited for the arrival for Roxas and Robredo in Balayan Municipality.
Asked why he threw his support to Roxas, Ermita said: “First of all, personally, I’m friends with Mar. Second, in politics, the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party are allies, that’s why presidential candidate Roxas visited Balayan.”
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Minutes after, Ermita welcomed Roxas as he made his way inside the Balayan Multipurpose Court.
Roxas and Robredo arrived with Ermita’s daughter Batangas District Rep. Eileen Ermita-Buhain, a member of the Nacionalista Party, and Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste.
READ: ‘Mr. Palengke’ Roxas takes campaign to Batangas
During Roxas’ turn to give a speech, he recounted the days when Ermita offered to help him when the former Interior Secretary was still a neophyte lawmaker. He was a district representative of his hometown Capiz Province from 1993 to 2000 before Arroyo appointed him as the secretary of Department of Trade and Industry.
“Isa akong baguhang kongresista noon. Merong isang tao na matikas, heneral ang tayo. Tinawag niya ako. Sabi niya: “Bata, halika dito. Nais kitang tulungan. Gusto kitang gabayan para maging epektibo ka, para malayo ka sa kalokohan..”. Walang iba ‘yon kung hindi ang kababayan niyong si Ed Ermita,” Roxas told his Batangueño supporters.
(I was a neophyte congressman then. There was a refined man who stood like a general. He called me and said, “Kid, I want to help you. I want to guide you so that you may be effective and isolated from vice. That was no other than Ed Ermita.)
“Kung ano man ang marating ko, ang inyong kababayan (Ermita) kasama dito,” he added.
(Whatever I may achieve, he is a part of it.)
At one point during the program, Ermita raised Roxas’ hand, grabbed the microphone and said: “Mabuhay ang susunod na Pangulo ng Pilipinas, Mar Roxas!”
(Long live the next President of the Philippines, Mar Roxas!)
In the 2010 vice presidential election, Roxas lost to Binay in this province by more than 200,000 votes. They are once again facing off in this year’s presidential election. IDL
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