‘Noy endorsement in 2016 is kiss of death’

MANILA, Philippines - Critics of President Aquino yesterday belied Malacañang’s claim that whoever would be anointed by the administration in the 2016 presidential elections would have the advantage over other presidential aspirants.

The militant Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said an endorsement coming from Aquino would be a kiss of death.

“We agree that an Aquino endorsement in 2016 is lethal. It means kiss of death to and death of the political career of that presidential wannabe,” Pamalakaya vice chairman Salvador France said.

France described presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda as a propagandist of Malacañang. “That is the trouble with Malacañang propagandists like presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda – they just open their big mouths for nothing except to glorify the inglorious regime of Aquino,” he said.

The group said those who will be endorsed by Aquino will suffer heavily at the electoral box-office contrary to Lacierda’s claim that President Aquino will make his candidates win because of the strong confidence the administration enjoys from the people.

“That is baloney. Lacierda is in full-state political dementia and he is harboring illusions and fantasies that is bordering on hallucination,” Pamalakaya said.

Lacierda said critics have been attempting to tear Aquino down as a way of weakening his endorsement power in the 2016 elections, knowing that whoever the President would anoint would have the advantage over the other aspirants.

“Whoever the President will endorse... The power of the President’s endorsement is lethal. It is effective and that’s the reason – whoever the President would anoint, would certainly have an advantage,” Lacierda said.

He argued that all the accusations raised against Aquino and his aides would have no adverse effect on the candidate to be supported by the administration in the 2016 elections.

Lacierda said the Aquino government has been consistent on its tuwid na daan (straight path), citing the latest approval ratings of the President.