Defeated presidential candidate Mar Roxas has denied connection with any of the five police generals who were named by President Rodrigo Duterte to have links with the illegal drug operations in the country.
What forced Roxas to issue a statement is the ‘Roxas Generals’ branding of some of the social media users and even some of those in the tri-media.
“Despite lacking any basis, the insinuation is that these individuals campaigned for me in the last elections,” said Roxas.
Roxas stressed that not a single person on the five generals named by Duterte had been part of the campaign of him and the Liberal Party, adding that his relationship with the five ended when he quit the post of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in 2015.
In some social media posts, retired general Marcelo Garbo was named as the person who led the meeting of the so-called Novotel generals with the staff of Roxas at the Novotel Hotel in Cubao, Quezon City in April.
The alleged meeting was reportedly attended by Chief Supt. Bernardo Diaz who was named along with Garbo, Director Joel Pagdilao, Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio and retired Chief Supt. Vicente Loot as protectors of illegal drugs trade by Duterte.
But Roxas urged the public to be critical of the website circulating political rumors involving the five active and retired generals.
He said that one of the indicators of the propaganda being spread in the bogus news websites is that it failed to mention that Garbo and Loot were already retired from the service.
And in terms of political twist on the issue, Roxas said one of the generals being implicated supported Duterte when he ran for mayor in the recent elections.
Roxas was apparently referring to Loot who is now the mayor of Daanbatayan town in Cebu. Loot’s wife is a politician in the area.
“One thing is certain: there are still those who attempt to smear my name and reputation long after the campaign is done,” said Roxas.
Roxas, for his part, said charges must be filed if there are pieces of evidence that could pin down the five generals into their alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
“If there is any truth to the allegations that these people have anything to do with the drug trade or those who run it, I believe that the proper course of actin is to file charges against them in accordance with due process instead of engaging in innuendo and circulating rumors,” said Roxas.
Roxas is keeping himself busy through travel on some of the tourist spots across the country. (AARON B. RECUENCO)