Solon to Lacierda: Don’t use gov’t resources to promote Roxas

PRESIDENTIAL spokesman Edwin Lacierda should not use “government resources” to promote a political party, a lawmaker said on Tuesday.

Abakada Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, in a press briefing at the House of Representatives Tuesday, accused Lacierda of using “government resources” to advance the political agenda of the Liberal Party.

He said if Lacierda is dedicated to support Mar Roxas’ presidential bid, he should resign as presidential spokesman.

Days after Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero declared their tandem in 2016, Lacierda criticized their campaign message as “somehow confusing.”

Lacierda said it was not clear whether Poe and Escudero wanted change or continuity after claiming that nobody had a monopoly of “daang matuwid” (straight path).

Reacting to Lacierda’s comment, Escudero had said that the spokesman should not dip his hands in politics.

The senator said Lacierda should resign as presidential spokesman if he wants to be Roxas’ spokesman.

This was also the position of De la Cruz.

“If he is so committed to the candidacy of Secretary Roxas, he should resign,” De la Cruz said.

He said it is “clear that government resources are used for a political party.”

But Lacierda has said that he is an alter ego of the President.

“There is already Supreme Court jurisprudence on Cabinet Secretaries as alter egos, and Senator Escudero is well aware of it. I would humbly encourage Senator Escudero to focus on the bigger issues that confront a campaign instead of focusing on an individual,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda recently started #JumpWithLeni, a social media campaign asking netizens to post photos of them jumping in a bid to encourage Camarines Sur Representative Mari Leonor “Leni” Robredo to become Roxas’ running mate in 2016.

De la Cruz maintained that the presidential spokesman has “certain functions” as an appointed official.

“If he (Lacierda) starts using that argument, he is using government resources,” he said.