MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino administration is not concerned with the rumored political alliance between former presidents Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo for the 2016 national elections.
In an interview over state-run dzRB on Sunday, Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said the Aquino administration would rather focus on the Philippine Development Plan and the rehabilitation and recovery efforts in areas hit by disasters last year.
"[H]indi po iyan ang prayoridad na pinag-uukulan ng pansin sapagka’t marami pong mahahalagang usapin sa ating bansa, tulad po nang agarang rehabilitasyon at rekonstruksiyon para sa mga nasalanta ng kalamidad, ng Yolanda at sa Zamboanga pati po doon sa Bohol earthquake at iyong Santi," Coloma said.
Citing sources, the STAR had reported that Ramos' and Estrada's separate visits to Arroyo at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City triggered moves from the three camps to forge a possible alliance.
The alliance would supposedly back up a common candidate in 2016 because the three camps are "alarmed with what’s happening to our country,†the STAR report said.
But Estrada said the rumored alliance “will never happen" while Ferdinand Topacio, a legal counsel of Arroyo, said there was nothing definite in the talks between the three camps.
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Estrada and Ramos were just some of the prominent figures who recently visited Arroyo, who remains in hospital detention in connection to her plunder charges.
Other visitors were former vice president Noli de Castro and Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, a known Arroyo critic.
But like the rumored alliance between the three former presidents, Coloma said visiting Arroyo is also not a concern for President Aquino.
"Sabihin na lang po natin na hindi po iyan prayoridad sa kasalukuyan," Coloma said.
The Palace official added that while the Aquino administration is trying to make Arroyo accountable for allegations of corruption, it has no ill will towards the former president.
"Kinakailangan pong magkaroon ng pananagutan o accountability process. Wala naman po siyang masamang hangarin o masamang saloobin laban kay Ginang Arroyo," Coloma said.