Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said all candidates belonging to the coalitions of the administration and opposition parties should take heed of the growing public sentiments against jumping into what he called "an old style of political campaigning (that is) based on mudslinging."
"Let us stop blaming and accusing each other so that the people will learn how to choose the candidates (they will elect)," he said in a radio interview, mindful that presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates would officially hit their respective campaign trails some two weeks from now.
Bunye aired the appeal amid accusations from some quarters that the President’s campaign team had launched an orchestrated campaign to discredit opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and thereby diminish, if not at all disqualify, his chances of seeking the presidency come May 10 elections.
The President’s campaign team was said to have approved the falsification of the birth and marriage documents of the late Fernando Poe Sr. to bolster claims that his son is not a natural-born Filipino and, therefore, is barred from running for the highest political position today.
The falsification of Poe’s documents was purportedly carried out by on-leave National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) Director Ricardo Manapat whom the President has relieved pending the result of a yet-to-be-conducted government investigation.
Likewise, Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign team was also said to be responsible for the paid advertisements aimed at discrediting Poe. Newspaper reports showed that it was Undersecretary Heraclio Nazareno, who works at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs, who made the anti-Poe ads reservations in at least three newspapers.
According to Bunye, he would not further comment on the accusations hurled against the President’s campaign team, stressing that he already denied categorically any involvement in the alleged orchestrated campaign against Poe.
"We won’t answer this issue anymore. What is important is that the Commission on Elections had already resolved it," he said, referring to Poe’s citizenship issue which has been resolved by the Comelec after noting glaring attempts to fabricate and tamper with the birth and marriage documents of the Poes.
Bunye said for the candidates to win the support – and the votes – of the Filipino electorate, they should take time explaining their proposed platform of government and their stance on crucial policy, issues, such as about foreign relations, economic recovery and tourism promotions.
"For example, we should ask (the candidates) about their policy on foreign relations. What is their economic policy? (What is) their policy toward tourism? And (what are their policies on) other different aspects (of governance)," he said.
