Santiago decries ‘conspiracy’ to rob her of victory

Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago INQUIRER PHOTO

BACOLOD CITY—Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday alleged that there was a conspiracy to rob her of victory in the May 9 polls.

But she said the strength of the youth who were behind her served as a warning to those who planned to rig the elections.

Santiago got a rock star welcome from a crowd of about 4,000 mostly young people, clad in red and chanting “Miriam ang sagot, Miriam ang sagot,” at University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod City on Friday afternoon.

“It is a warning that if they rig the elections against the choice of the university students they might spill out into the streets,” she said.

She said her opponents had been spreading rumors that she had withdrawn from the presidential race, which she had no plans of doing and done her best to counterattack.

“It seems that there is a conspiracy because contributors do not give money and my opponents wait until I’m destitute then they come with an offer to buy me out,” she said.

She added her husband had been approached with an offer that if she withdraws from the campaign and endorses another presidential bet, she would be given as much as P350 million.

“They want to buy out an Ilongga,” she said, which was met by chants of “Miriam, Miriam” from the crowd.

She said in jest that the next time an offer would be made, “luthangon ko na lang sila (I will just shoot them),” drawing laughter from the crowd.

Santiago, in an interview, said that if elected president, Negros and Iloilo would be her priority for infrastructure and agriculture.

She promised that by the end of her term as president, the Philippines would be more prosperous and its people united.

As president, she said her first order of business would be the battle against corruption, noting that in the latest perception index the Philippines was ranked 95th out of 168 countries.

She said corruption was perceived to be widespread in the Bureau of Customs, Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agriculture and Philippine National Police.

“These agencies are the one supposed to deal with the problems Filipinos complain about daily,” she added. RC