Roxas to bank more on ‘truth, righteousness’ over tactics or messaging

MANILA, Philippines — With the official campaign period kicking off next week, Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas said there would be no change in what he called his “no-frills, zero-drama” strategy to woo voters.

“There will be no change,” he told reporters in Tagoloan town in Misamis Oriental province. “This is not about strategy, tactics or messaging. We only stand on the side of truth and righteousness,” he added.

“Then and now, up to the day of the election, we will speak only the truth and tell our people what is really going on,” the former interior secretary said in Filipino.

The LP candidate will jump-start his presidential campaign in his hometown of Capiz province with President Aquino, an LP spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Roxas’ political ads dubbed “Walang Drama,” show a close-up shot of him speaking to the camera, without music and against a dark background, and declaring at the end: “I will not steal from you.”

The latest TV ads, which drew mixed reactions, were a stark departure from his previous ones, including a celebrity-filled music video.

Roxas, a former investment banker and a scion of the landed Araneta clan, has struggled to overcome perceptions of elitism and lack of a common touch with the masses.

In opinion surveys, he is currently trailing Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe, though he has made headway in the past two quarters.

Asked about negative comments made by the opposition on his “Walang Drama” ads, Roxas said “this spelled good news for his campaign.”

“That’s a sign that the ads ring true. Our people appreciate the ads more because it’s the opposition who are reacting against them,” he countered.  SFM