Lawmaker defends Mar’s latest ad

MANILA, Philippines – Administration ally Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Cavite defended yesterday the latest political advertisement of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

“Mar is just being true to himself and the Filipino people in the ad, where he made his message clear: that he is all work and no drama,” he said.

“The best way to deal with human beings is to tell the truth and that’s what he did. He kept it simple and sent a clear message across. It was terse but meaningful,” he said.

Barzaga said critics of Roxas, particularly those in social media, “are reacting violently because Mar told the truth and hit a nerve.”

He added that those who are criticizing the advertisement could be supporters of Roxas’ rivals who feel alluded to in his ad.

Barzaga urged voters “to be critical and look beyond the propaganda being fed to them by other candidates.”

“Unlike his rivals, Mar is not packaging himself to make it appear that he is someone else just to woo the votes of the masses,” he said.

He noted that in his newest advertisement, Roxas tells voters that the election is not about him but about them and their families.

“He promises to focus on job creation. The most striking part of the ad is when Mar tells viewers that he would never steal from the national coffers. That’s Mar – a public servant for the last 18 years who is not tainted by any issues on graft and corruption,” he said.

He said Roxas reiterates in the ad that he would continue President Aquino’s daang matuwid “but makes it clear that he has no intention of mimicking everything about the Aquino presidency.” – With Danny Dangcalan