Palace: Government won’t use P64-B CCT funds for LP campaign

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang assured the nation yesterday that the government will not use the P64 billion allocated for the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to bankroll the campaign of Liberal Party candidates, particularly  presidential aspirant Manuel Roxas II.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also justified for the nth time  the implementation of the program to lift the marginalized sector from the cycle of poverty.

“The CCT program has been implemented by the Aquino administration since the start and over the years, we have expanded the number of beneficiaries from 800,000 families to 4.4 million families. It is a program envisioned to implement the President’s credo that no one should be left behind,” he said.

“To allow our poorest brothers and sisters the opportunity to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty cannot even be remotely described as misuse and perhaps those who accuse as such are, for all intents and purposes, doing a disservice to our people who have benefited from the program.” 

United Nationalist Alliance spokesman Mon Ilagan had said the budget for the CCT program could be misused and that LP stalwart and Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice himself stated it would ensure “an easy win” for Roxas next year because the funds were being given directly to the poor.

Meanwhile,  LP vice presidential aspirant Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo might just pull a surprise in the 2016 elections and win against well-entrenched and more popular rivals, her allies in the House of Representatives said yesterday.

In the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, Robredo’s ratings surged to 19 percent that put her in second place with Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the vice presidential race, according to Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo.

“Leni’s surge sends a clear message that the electorate wants a VP who is unblemished and that they are tired of the ‘usual’ politician who’s been around for some time,” he said.

Quimbo said the LP has always been certain that Robredo’s poll ratings would pick up, having the highest voter conversion rate among vice presidential candidates.