Apologize, NP senatorial bets tell Noynoy, Mar

(Update 12:14 AM) Apologize. This was what Nacionalista Party bets demanded on Thursday from the source of black propaganda against their standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr., expressing disgust over a campaign marked by mudslinging and dirty tactics. In a press conference, senatorial bet Adel Tamano initiated extending apologies to “people whom I may have offended and hurt in the course of the campaign." “Let this be a start of a higher level of discourse," he said. “Let us keep our campaigns at the level of issues and platforms." NP vice presidential bet Senator Loren Legarda reiterated her call to Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III and running mate Senator Manuel Roxas II to stop their black propaganda against Villar. [See: Loren urges LP bets to stop 'dirty, demeaning' campaign] “Hinahamon ko ang aking kasamahan sa senado, si Sen Aquino at Sen Roxas na humingi ng paumanhin sa taumbayan sa kanilang paninirang puri hindi lamang sa amin ni Manny Villar kundi ang paggagamit sa ating mahihirap, sa ating taumbayan, sa panlalait nila ng ating demokrasya at pagwawasak ng institusyon sa paggamit ng maruming pulitika," she said. (I am challenging my fellow colleagues in the Senate, Senator Aquino and Senator Roxas, to apologize to our countrymen, Manny Villar, and myself for committing character assassination, for using the poor for their ends, for mocking democracy and destroying institutions for dirty politics.) Black propaganda came from their leading rival party, she said, adding that the LP was assisted by media and public relations organizations. “Alam na sila ang utak nito. Sino ba naman ang gagawa nito si Bro Eddie at si (Perfecto) Yasay? Orchestrated negative campaign ito," she said. ([LP] is the brains behind this. Who do you think will do things like these? Bro. Eddie and Perfecto Yasay? This is obviously an orchestrated negative campaign.) Another senatorial candidate, Rep. Satur Ocampo, also expressed disappointment at the conduct of the campaign. “Personalized attacks" marked the campaign, which reverted to old and dirty practices involving allegations which were not substantiated. Senatorial candidate Ramon Mitra III was hurt that the black propaganda “has gone to a level that even to the extent that a family member has been talked about, even a dead sibling." “Kung maaari sana let us refrain from this, dun natin dalhin ang kampanya na pag-usapan ang issues at advocacies, programa natin. Ngayon siguro narealize ng mga gumawa nyan na mali ang ginawa nila, ang suggestion ko sa kanila, magsorry naman sila," he said. (If it is at all possible, let us refrain from this and bring the campaign to a level that will allow discussion of issues and advocacies. I suggest that whoever committed these things should apologize.) Even the 17-year old daughter of detained Col. Ariel Querubin who represented him in the press conference reels from the effect of the dirty tactics. “What kind of leaders do we have that they can’t even trust themselves to win fairly, that they have to trust lies and negative publicity and propaganda will propel them to winning," Faye Querubin said, almost close to tears. “It sends a bad message to all the youth that you have to lie to win and you have to cheat and show negative things about your opponents that may or may not even be true." Shut down lie factories, LP says in return However, the Liberal Party said that it should be the other way around, the party’s general campaign manager Florencio Abad said. It should be Villar’s camp who should shutter its lie factories, own up to their wrongdoing, and apologize to the Filipino people for the expensive and nasty smear campaign they have launched Aquino and Roxas. “Loren should look at her backyard first," Abad said. “The NP has been churning out and spreading all kinds of lies against the LP." “Rebyuhin man natin ang lahat ng mga balita na lumabas ukol sa kampanyang ito, makikita natin kung sino ba talaga ang gumagamit ng black propaganda sa kanilang kampanya," Abad said in a press statement. (Even if we review all news stories about this campaign that came out, we can determine who really used black propaganda.) The NP, driven by despair due to their plunging survey ratings, had been telling untruths about Aquino and Roxas, he said. On the contrary, the Liberals had only exposed the truth, he said. “Mismong si Sen. Villar ang nagdiin sa kanyang sarili sa C-5 road anomaly nang tumanggi siyang humarap at magpaliwanag sa Senado. Hindi ba’t siya rin ang gumamit sa kanyang yumaong kapatid kaya’t nakalkal na hindi siya tunay na mahirap? Hindi ba’t patuloy siyang tahimik sa mga isyu laban kay Pangulong Arroyo kaya’t lumitaw ang Villarroyo unholy alliance?" he added. (Senator Villar put himself in hot water when he refused to face the Senate hearing about the C-5 anomaly. Didn’t Senator Villar himself use his very own dead sibling, which, in turn, later proved that he wasn’t really poor as he claimed? Isn’t he the one who continued to keep quiet about issues against President Arroyo which was why the so-called Villarroyo alliance emerged?) Legarda, he also said, should stop griping because Roxas had never maligned her. “Maitatanggi ba ni Sen. Legarda na kasama siya sa mga nagpatalsik noon kay Senate President Villar, nag-impeach kay dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada at pagkaraan ay tumakbong bise presidente ng matalik nitong kaibigan na namayapang si Action King na si Fernando Poe Jr., kaya’t natagurian siyang ‘political butterfly’?" Abad also said. (Can Senator Legarda deny that she was among who helped expel Senate President Villar, helped impeach president Joseph Estrada, and later ran as vice president of Estrada’s best friend, Action King Fernando Poe Jr. which was why she was labeled as a political butterfly?) - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV