A STAUNCH supporter of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II on Tuesday defended him from the claim of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, another presidential aspirant, that the former Interior secretary had a “breakdown” when Super Typhoon “Yolanda” devastated Tacloban in 2013.
In a news conference, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, the Liberal Party’s vice chairman for political affairs, dismissed Duterte and described him as “weird” and “crazy.”
Erice also criticized Duterte for being a bad example to the youth as a result of his foul mouth and for flaunting his womanizing ways.
“Kung pagkukumparahin ninyo iyong istilo ni Secretary Mar at ni Mayor Duterte, s’ya ‘yung kakaiba. S’ya ‘yung parang may katok,” Erice told reporters.
“Minumura ‘yung pope. O, hindi ba, nagmumura sa harap ng mga kabataan, sa telebisyon? Masamang impluwensiya ‘yan sa mga kabataan. Pati ‘yung apo ko nanonood, akala tama ‘yung ginagawa niya. Kaya sabi ko doon sa apo ko, hindi, may katok ‘yan, ‘wag mong pakinggan.”
Erice made his statement even as Roxas II on Tuesday tagged Duterte as a “liar.”
“I was surprised because we are friends, I consider him a friend,” Roxas said, during his campaign sortie in Antipolo, Rizal.
He tells lies about me. I do not know where this started. I will not respond to this.”
Roxas said Duterte’s attacks on him showed that he did not have a solid platform of government.
Erice made the statement in response to Duterte’s allegation that Roxas had a “breakdown” during Yolanda’s onslaught.
“Mar Roxas got the scare of his life during Yolanda,” Duterte said.
“I was there on Day 2. I was there. I was talking to him. He was not acting like a person who was in charge.”