Presidential candidate Manuel Roxas shrugged off posts circulating on social media supposedly showing that he failed to draw a huge crowd of supporters during his recent campaign activity in Hong Kong.
“Kung ano man ang mga gawa-gawa na ito ay hayaan na lang natin sila. Panahon ng kampanya ngayon, so lahat ng uri ng paninira, lahat ng uri ng pagmanipula sa letrato, ay makikita natin,” Roxas said in an interview.
Roxas, 58, a former senator and interior secretary under Aquino was in Hong Kong for a quick trip Sunday. He is the only one of five presidential candidates so far to visit Hong Kong and conduct his campaign personally. He said he felt the welcome of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Hong Kong, contrary to claims of supporters of his political opponents.
“Mabunga ang aming pagbisita sa Hong Kong, at napakarami, libu-libo ng mga kababayan natin ang dumalo, sumalubong, at pinakita ang kanilang mainit na pagtanggap sa amin,” he said.
One of the posts was made by fellow presidential candidate and Davao Ciy Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson Peter Laviña which showed Roxas sitting on a park bench surrounded by few supporters. Similar posts compared photos of Roxas supporters to that of a pro-Duterte gathering nearby.
Although Duterte was not present in the event as he was on a campaign sortie in Bohol, supporters on the same day organized a rally for him that featured dance group Mocha Girls and actor Aljur Abrenica.