Team Daang Matuwid defends Mar on 'tanim-bala' statement

MANILA, Philippines - The administration coalition Thursday defended its presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II from critics who assailed him for saying that the bullet scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport may be part of a plot to discredit the government.

Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid spokesman and Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez clarified that Roxas is supportive of efforts to stop acts that hurt the image of the Philippines and cause apprehension among travelers.

“He (Roxas) supports a swift and exhaustive investigation and the imposition of appropriate penalties on any person found responsible, be it a scheme of a group, some individuals or a huge conspiracy,” he said.

Earlier, Roxas drew flak for raising the possibility that the airport bullet scam may be a plot to destroy the image of the government as it prepares to host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this month.

“I think in all things, the truth should prevail. Is it a plot, a vast effort to destroy the image of the government especially now that the APEC is approaching? Is it an effort to destroy the tourism program?” the Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet said in an interview in Pangasinan last Tuesday.

“For me, whoever is behind this, it is important to know the whole truth. Is this a scheme of those supervising the X-ray machine or a vast conspiracy?” he added.

Roxas, nevertheless, said those behind the scheme should be punished.

“This scam has no place in the airports and seaports of our country. This is not acceptable to the straight path. This should be investigated,” he added.

Roxas’ comments, however, did not sit well with some critics who accused him of blaming the victims of the extortion scheme to protect the government’s image.

Migrant workers group Migrante said Roxas’ statement was “unconvincing” and reflected “government inaction and inefficiency” to curb the extortion scheme. The group vowed to actively campaign against Roxas in the 2016 polls.

Gutierrez, however, dismissed Migrante’s statement as a “hysterical propaganda.”

“Given the unequivocal position of Sec Mar, Migrante’s latest barrage is readily exposed as the same old hysterical propaganda it has attempted to peddle in the past,” the administration coalition spokesman said.

“But this is typical of Migrante’s politics: ‘all talk, no solution.’ Their default mode for everything is spouting anti-government rhetoric and denying, whenever they can, even the most obvious gains of the government,” he added.

Gutierrez said the government has taken concrete steps to address the issue, which is threatening to cast a shadow on the Philippines’ hosting of the APEC summit.  

“The DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) and concerned airport security agencies have already begun the necessary steps to combat this scheme by putting up additional CCTVs (closed-circuit television) within the airport and tightening the baggage handling procedures, while pursuing a vigilant investigation of concerned airport employees,” he said.

Some supporters of Roxas have turned to social networking sites to shield the administration’s presidential bet from bashers. They suspect that the bullet scam issue is an attempt to malign the Aquino administration and Roxas.

In a recent Facebook post, actress Cynthia Patag said the bullet planting scheme is a “demolition job by the malevolent minions ordered by their demon leaders to discredit the Aquino administration (and ultimately) the LP’s presidential candidate Mar Roxas.”

Singer Leah Navarro, another Roxas supporter, posted on her Facebook account that those behind the bullet planting scheme is shaming not just the administration but all Filipinos including themselves.