Mar challenges rivals: Reveal true identity, background

NAGA CITY, Cebu – Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel "Mar" Roxas II Friday challenged his rivals to disclose important details about themselves following Sen. Grace Poe’s admission that his husband had served at the United States Air Force (USAF).

While Roxas declined to react to Poe’s admission, he stressed the need for candidates to reveal the “whole truth” about themselves as it would help voters decide in the upcoming polls.  

“I don’t like to give a commentary about that. They might say that we are behind the website (that discussed the background of Poe’s husband),” Roxas told reporters in a campaign sortie here.

“But for us candidates, now is the time to tell the whole truth about ourselves, our identity, our background to the entire nation,” he added.  

Roxas said such disclosure would allow voters to learn about their track record, capability and personality.

“In the end, our personality will guarantee how we will act in case we win as president or vice president,” the LP standard bearer said.

“This is the truth. All of these happened and these are not just sweet talk,” he added.

Roxas said Poe did not discuss her husband’s stint at the US military when she was still his ally. The LP had tried to persuade Poe to run as vice president.

Roxas, however could not help but allude to the questions about Poe’s citizenship.

“If I win the presidency, you can be sure that 110 percent I am a Filipino and I have spent my entire life for the development of Filipinos,” he added.

Earlier, the website Open Source Investigations claimed that Poe’s husband Teodoro “Neil” Llamanzares served in the US military from 1988 to 1992. The website said Poe lived in a US Air Force base housing in Washington DC from 1991 to 19922.

According to Open Source Investigations, Poe is not telling the truth about her life in the United States and her husband.

“In a sovereign state the idea of a First Gentleman who is a citizen of a foreign country and served for several years in that foreign country’s army is unthinkable,” the website said.

“It’s a simple question of loyalty. Grace Poe’s loyalty to the Philippines is more than questionable. Her husband’s allegiance is doubtful,” it added.

In an earlier interview, Poe said all the information contained in the website were “public records” and she did not intend to hide them from the voters.

Poe also noted that some of the country’s leaders studied in US military educational institutions like former president Fidel Ramos and former Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez.