Government resources can’t be used for LP bets’ campaign – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - Government resources cannot be used for the campaign of ruling Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II and other administration candidates, a Palace official maintained yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda made the statement after a photo of a pick-up truck with red license plates carrying posters of Roxas and the daang matuwid (straight path) coalition bets went viral on social media.

The photo was posted on the Facebook page of a group called Citizens Against Crime, Poverty and Corruption.

The photo shows several men squatting on the roadside and attending to the posters.

“We’re glad that citizens were vigilant. There is no excuse for the use by the local government of their vehicle by any supporter for any candidate,” Lacierda said. 

He said the Commission on Elections has the mandate to act accordingly on the matter.

Meanwhile, Lacierda denied the claim of the camp of presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe that beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program were being threatened against attending her campaign rallies.

“It is unfortunate that every time attendance in her rallies is sparse, their camp accuses others for the low attendance. Perhaps, a bit of owning up, instead of blaming others, could be good chicken soup for the soul,” Lacierda said.

Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office quoted Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman as saying there was no truth to such allegation.

Soliman said those who would like to press the claim could submit the names of the department personnel involved for investigation.

She said they did not issue any pronouncement or policy related to CCT and that the program’s beneficiaries could freely attend forums and rallies of any candidate.