Former senator Mar Roxas on Friday was in a moment of disbelief after the news broke out that one of his rivals in the 2016 presidential elections, Rodrigo Duterte, had actually asked voters to vote for him.

“Totoo ba yan? Kasi wala akong personal knowledge (Is that true? I have no personal knowledge…),” said Roxas.

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In his speech in Boracay, President Duterte said “vote for Roxas” so we would know if he can do something against illegal drugs.

“Vote for Roxas, Ilonggo eh. Iboto ninyo, walang problema ‘yan,” Duterte pleaded. “Tatakbo siguro ‘yan si Roxas uli eh. Sige why don’t you try para makita ninyo. You can only measure a man’s stamina for doing a particular activity for his fellowmen.”

If true, Roxas said he would want to thank the President.

Rebuild the nation

According to Roxas, his decision to run for the 2019 midterm elections was not intended to exact revenge against the current administration but to take part in endeavors that would solve the country’s pressing problems.

“Katulad ng sinabi ko, tumatakbo ako para sa Senado hindi bilang Round 2 ng 2016, kundi para makatulong lutasin mga problemang hinaharap ng mga Pilipino. Malinaw naman sa akin: there’s no reason why Filipinos should not progress. I want to go back to public service so I can help with this,” Roxas said.

Robredo reaction

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo said Duterte’s encouragement for people to vote for Roxas was an explicit endorsement that affirms the qualification of the former Interior Secretary.

Roxas, who lost to Duterte in the 2016 presidential elections, is gunning for a return to the Senate in the 2019 midterm polls.

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“Masayang balita iyan (That’s good news). Masayang balita na in-endorse ni Pangulong Duterte si Secretary Mar for the Senate (It’s good that President Duterte had endorsed Roxas for the Senate). This is an affirmation that he is very much qualified…,” Robredo said.

According to Robredo, she only heard about Duterte’s statements from reporters. She also thinks Roxas was not aware of Duterte’s remarks about his candidacy.

“Hindi niya sa akin naikuwento. First-time ko actually narinig na in-endorse siya ni Pangulong Duterte,” she said.

Roxas is one of the eight candidates of the Oposisyon Koalisyon (OK), a team-up between various political parties including LP, Akbayan Partylist, Magdalo Partylist, Aksyon Demokratiko, and Tindig Pilipinas. Inquirer Libre with a report from Gab Lalau/ac

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