AIE B. SEE and AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV03/02/2010 | 02:52 PM
Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/185102/gordon-says-villar-tried-to-buy-him-out-of-race
Bagumbayan standard bearer Richard Gordon on Tuesday accused his rival Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. of trying to buy him out of the May 10 presidential race.
In an interview with Mike Enriquez during radio dzBB's Ikaw Na Ba, Gordon claimed that weeks before Congress adjourned, a friend of offered to reimburse his campaign expenses and vowed to give him whatever Cabinet position he desired on the condition that he withdraw from the race.
"Babayaran ko lahat ginastos mo at yung ikakampanya mo. Kapag umatras ka bibigyan kita nang ano mang pwesto sa gabinete," Gordon quoted the emissary as saying.
(I will pay for all your expenses including those incurred during your campaign. If you withdraw from the race, I will give you any Cabinet position.)
Gordon declined to identify the emissary but he said the person, a former government official, made the offer in front of his children.
Gordon also claimed that Villar’s camp also coaxed him to abandon support for Senator Juan Ponce Enrile to reinstall Villar as Senate President.
“Sinabi sa akin iurong ko yung suporta kay Senator Enrile at kung...yung boto ko nalang hinihintay," he said.
(The emissary told me that I should withdraw support for Senator Enrile and that they were just awaiting my vote.)
Gordon was the second presidential candidate to claim that Villar tried to talk them out of the presidential derby.
Earlier, former President Joseph Estrada claimed that a rival also offered to reimburse his campaign expenses.
Unlike Gordon, the deposed leader declined to name candidate.
However, Estrada's senatorial candidate, JV Bautista, said Villar, the Nacionalista Party’s standard bearer, is the person who is most likely to do such.
During the radio interview, Gordon, who has been lagging behind presidential surveys, refused to acknowledge the credibility of the opinion polls.
Recent surveys have been conditioning the public that the presidential election is just between Villar and front runner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III of the Liberal Party, he said.
Villar denies making offer
In the meantime, Villar challenged Gordon to name his supposed emissary who tried to convince him to withdraw from the race.
In an interview with reporters during his visit at Surigao City Public Market, Villar denied that he asked anyone to be his emissary to other presidential candidates, warning that these could be conmen.
"Dapat sabihin na para malaman (They should name who the supposed emissaries are so that we will know the truth)," he said.
"Ako ay nagbibigay babala sa mga kasamahan kong kandidato, wala po akong ginagawang ganyan, wala akong ino-offer-an na maski kanino. Mag-iingat po kayo sa mga taong nanloloko at baka po kayo ay mabiktima," Villar added.
(I have not made any such offers to candidates. They should be warned against such people because they might be the next victims.)
He respects the other presidential candidates and he has no plan to ask them to withdraw from the race, Villar said.
"Ako po ay tumatakbo nang malinis, nang maayos at wala akong ibang hangarin," he said.
(I am running for office and I am following all rules.)
With only two months before the elections, no candidate will withdraw from the race, he said.
"Siguradong may mga taong gustong manira sa akin kaya nago-offer tapos ako ang itinuturo. Hindi po ako ganyan at wag sana kayong naniniwala para hindi kayo maloko," Villar said.
(There will be people who intend to destroy me by saying I offered my rivals to withdraw but I’m not like that and they should not believe these people.)
Asked what could be the reason he has been the subject of such issues, the senator said it could only mean that his survey ratings are doing well.
"Magandang balita yan, pag ikaw palagi ang pinupuntirya that means ikaw ang nangunguna," he said.
(That’s good news. It only means that you’re leading in the surveys.)
Villar added he will not spend his money for other candidates.
"Wala akong ganyang pera. Ang aking natitirang budget ay para na sa kampanya at tamang tama lamang ito," he said.
(What remains of my budget has been allotted for the campaign.) - GMANews.TV
Original Story: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/185102/gordon-says-villar-tried-to-buy-him-out-of-race
Senators don't send a third party to offer and discuss political merger and bail-outs with another Senator. Things like this are discussed one-on-one. If Gordon can expose the big issue, it is strange that he cannot expose the smaller fact of the issue (ID of the offeror). A SMART Gordon could have called Villar to personally verify the authenticity of the offer, but he choose to be less smarter. BIG TURN-OFF in my side.
ReplyDelete