Roxas says Miriam best person to judge his capabilities

LIBERAL Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas on Sunday said his presidential rival Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is the best person who could attest to his capabilities as a public official.

During the “face-off” segment of the last presidential debate in Pangasinan City, Santiago, a former colleague of Roxas in the Senate, asked the administration presidential bet to cite examples of his academic, professional and moral excellence that would make him qualified for presidency.

“With respect to professional excellence, we have worked together in the Senate. We have defended treatise the JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) being one of them. I have been both an interpellator to yourself as well as you have interpellated me and I think you would be the best judge as to my capability in understanding the issues particularly complex as they may be,” he said.

Expounding on his moral integrity, Roxas, like in his previous speeches and interviews, reiterated his clean and untainted record as a public servant for more than two decades.

“I think that my record of 23 years in public life—not once having been connected to any kind of anomaly—speaks for itself. Walang mantsa, walang bahid, sa mahigit 20 taon ng paninilbihan. The most important word that a public servant has to say is to say no—no to temptation, no to offers and no to even the seeming inappropriateness of certain acts,” he said.

As for his academic excellence, Roxas cited his degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which he described as “one of the best business schools in the entire United States,” and took a swipe at his critics questioning his business degree.

“I’ve accomplished that. My diploma is up on the wall for anyone who wishes to see,” he said.

Roxas’ educational attainment previously became a hot topic after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte claimed that the former Interior secretary was faking his Wharton degree.