Bayan says poll tactics for Mar an Arroyo trademark

DAVAO CITY—The tactics being used by the Aquino administration to boost the popularity of the administration’s presidential  candidate, Mar Roxas, are no different from those used by its predecessor, the Arroyo administration, which President Benigno Aquino III had condemned and vowed not to emulate, according to a left-wing group criticizing Mr. Aquino.

Renato Reyes Jr., Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general, said the use of public funds and government machinery for high-profile visits by Roxas in the provinces and vote-rich areas supposedly in the performance of his duty as interior secretary is just a flashback of what the Arroyo administration did in the 2004 elections.

“This unapologetic abuse of power is supposedly what P-Noy (Aquino) and his party fought against, but now they are guilty of the very same evils they condemned,” Reyes said.

With Roxas’ survey ratings sliding down, the administration, Reyes said, is hell bent on using resources of government to sell Roxas.

“Roxas could have irrevocably resigned out of delicadeza, but it’s obvious that his [resignation] and Aquino’s refusal to accept it is all a show, just for appearances, just to impress upon us that he supposedly has integrity,” said Reyes.

Roxas had tendered his resignation as interior secretary but Mr. Aquino refused to accept it, saying Roxas has unfinished business at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Bayan said Roxas’ visits around the country as DILG head, while officially to distribute police patrol vehicles and funds to local governments, is plain campaigning, said Reyes.

The timing of the release of funds for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) is also obviously designed to boost Roxas’ name-recall in areas devastated by the storm, according to the Bayan leader.

“It’s been more than 500 days since Yolanda,” said Reyes. “The victims have been clamoring for housing, livelihood and financial assistance for years. Now it arrives courtesy of Mar Roxas during the initial stages of preparations for the May 2016 presidential elections. The timing is obvious,” he said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate raised concern over the use of government resources in the campaign to popularize Roxas.

Zarate said Roxas, whose family is one of the richest in the country, should explain in public where he draws the funds for his TV and radio ads. Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao