Administration standard-bearer Manuel A. Roxas II yesterday dared all presidential candidates to disclose their campaign donors, including the owners of the private planes and helicopters they are using.
Roxas said honesty and transparency in candidates’ funds are the best campaign policies.
“If you have nothing to hide, why wait until after the elections,” said Roxas after rivals Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and Sen. Grace Poe said that they will only reveal the names of the owners of the planes they are using after the elections.
Poe said she will make the disclosure in the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures submitted to the Commission on Elections after the polls.
Roxas was put on bad light over his frequent use of private plane and helicopters in his provincial sorties.
He admitted that the planes and choppers are owned by businessman Eric Gutierrez but emphasized that he has been renting them.
Roxas said that even when he was still secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, he personally paid for use of the aircraft for his provincial visits when needed.
“That is how Mar Roxas works. Even before when I was not yet a candidate, I paid for my use of aircraft. I didn’t use taxpayers’ money for it,” he said.
Roxas said that his use of a mining firm’s private aircraft is not for free, and is therefore, not a favor. “I can assure you that the money I use to pay for it does not come from public funds,” said Roxas.
