‘Straight from the Horse’s Mouth’–Legarda on Roxas Admission of Offer

“YOU GOT IT STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH. MAR ROXAS HIMSELF ADMITS THAT HE DID ASK ME IF I WOULD WITHDRAW FROM THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL RACE AND SUPPORT HIM AND NOYNOY AQUINO. UNFORTUNATELY, HE REMEMBERS MAKING A QUERY, AS HE PUT IT, BUT NOT AN OFFER. HE’S GOT A CONVENIENTLY SELECTIVE MEMORY AND A TWISTED INTERPRETATION OF FACTS.”
NP-NPC-LDP vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda issued that statement on Friday after reading a front-page story in the Tribune titled “Roxas admits Legarda quip, says it’s a query.”
“So why is (Liberal Party spokesman) Chito Gascon saying that I’m getting so desperate that I’ve resorted to mudslinging?” Legarda said. “Since when has telling the truth become mudslinging? I’m a journalist. I’m not used to making up facts. Roxas remembers asking me the query”
She said that by pitting Gascon to deny the incident, “Roxas apparently does not have the guts to deny the allegations. It only shows the veracity and credibility of my account of the incident.”
Legarda said Gascon and Roxas had better consult each other first before issuing statements.
“Para naman maging consistent yung gusto nilang palabasin na mga statements,” Legarda said. “They’re the ones who sound desperate. They’d say anything to get off the hook. Mar is even making it appear that I’m the one with shady intentions by running with Manny (Villar).”
The issue broke out on Wednesday, shortly after Legarda’s radio interview with Mike Enriquez over DZBB.
Legarda said the Roxas made an offer to her before the Senate adjourned in February.
“Back when I had yet to find my running mate, Mar tried to make an arrangement wit me ‘outside of the political process’,” she said.
As she passed by his chair in the Senate session hall, Roxas told her: “If there’s any way that you can support my principal (LP presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino) and me, if there’s anything you want, we can provide.”
At that time, she did not know what Roxas meant exactly. So she replied: “Please don’t talk to me in riddles.”
She later recounted this to her political advisers who told her that it was something like an “exchange deal.”