Senator Loren Legarda, who is running as vice president under the Nacionalista Party, Thursday criticized Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential bet Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II whom she described as the “real political butterfly” by changing sides, depending on who's in power.

In her statement, Legarda also questioned Roxas’ fitness for the vice presidency and vowed to continue criticizing Roxas so as not to mislead the voters in choosing the right candidate for the second highest post in the land.

Legarda was apparently irked by earlier allegations of the LP that she is a “political butterfly.”

Legarda countered the allegation and to back up her claim that Roxas is the real “political butterfly,” she claimed that it was Roxas who kept changing sides, depending who was in power.

Citing Roxas’ public record, she said Roxas was trade and industry secretary of President Joseph Estrada in 2000 before Estrada was ousted from power. In 2001, he was reappointed to the same position by President Gloria Arroyo which he accepted.

She said that in 2004, Roxas ran for senator under Mrs. Arroyo’s Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan.” Later, she said Roxas allegedly abandoned President Arroyo and now he is running as vice president under the LP.

In 2007, she claimed Roxas tried to ask for Estrada’s blessing to run with him as vice president.

“Sino ngayon ang kaduda-duda ang pagka-oposisyon? Yung limang beses nagpalit ng partido at kung kani-kanino kumakampi?(His being opposition is doubtful. One who changed parties five times and who sided with many?)…” asked Legarda, adding that Roxas’s loyalty is now in question.

Earlier, Legarda challenged Roxas to a one- on- one debate on a lot of issues which, she said, seeks to determine who has the better advocacies and platforms.

But the camp of Roxas has yet to respond to the challenge of Legarda, the running mate of NP presidential bet Sen Manny Villar.

Legarda also denied that her criticism of Roxas was prompted by her lower ranking in the surveys.

"Yes, I want to win. Have you heard any other candidate say otherwise?" she said. "But this is not about surveys. This is about whether Mar is fit for the vice presidency. That’s why I’ve been challenging him to a debate on issues, para magkaalaman na(so that we will know)," Loren said.

Legarda also alleged that it is not true that Roxas is pro-poor.

“Siya ay nagpapahirap sa mahirap, Anti-poor siya,”(He makes the poor suffer because he is anti- poor), she claimed.