FPJ boys claim gov’t execs tried to bribe them

The leader of the Freedom, Peace and Justice (FPJ) movement has accused ranking government officials of attempting to bribe the group’s leaders and win them over to the administration’s side.

FPJ movement leader Manny Portes, whose group is pushing the presidential bid of action star Fernando Poe Jr., said high-ranking government officials have approached him and other FPJ movement leaders and offered them substantial amounts of money to switch loyalties.

"The offer was made for us to switch loyalty to the administration," Portes said in a telephone interview. "We flatly rejected it. It was a substantial amount."

Portes, however, declined to identify the government officials who made these "substantial offers."

According to Portes, he was not surprised by the offers, adding that President Arroyo now feels threatened by Poe.

"She now feels threatened," he said of the President. "(The administration) will really attempt to do all these things."

Portes added that a majority of the country’s provincial governors are now starting to throw their support for Poe’s presidential bid.

He said that, as the campaign period begins, they will also organize support for Poe at the municipal and barangay levels.

Portes said the FPJ movement intends to utilize its 70 provincial chapters to organize support for Poe in 1,700 municipalities and 45,000 barangays.

As this developed, Portes said Poe’s senatorial slate is almost 90 percent complete and "will be revealed when (Poe) files his certificate of candidacy."

Portes said Poe’s senatorial ticket will include re-electioninst Senators Teresa Aquino-Oreta and John Osmeña; former senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos.

Santiago had earlier declared she was exiting the political arena for good to honor the wishes of her son, Alexander, 22, who committed suicide last month.