MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Loren Legarda disputed yesterday allegations that she failed to declare a property in New York in her latest Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN).
“It’s political season and I have survived to answer clearly all the black propaganda hurled against me,” she said.
“I challenge the source of all this to come clean. I ask other candidates to stick to what we as candidates can do to address the problems facing the country.”
Legarda presented a certification from her accountant, Joel Wanagen, and reviewed by accounting firm SGV through lawyers Cirilo Noel and Avelino Cruz, of ACCRA law office, to show that she truthfully filed her SALN.
The one-page memorandum reiterated that Legarda has included the New York property since June 30, 2007 described as “other investment” in annex A of her SALN.
The amount of P7.175 million is one-fourth of the total investment in the acquisition of the apartment of P28.7 million.
As of Dec. 31, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2012, the New York property was also included in the senator’s SALN, described as real property-USA, P28.7 million in annex A.
Legarda said the continued misinformation campaign against her is part of black propaganda meant to pull down her consistent top ranking in election surveys.
The revelations of her supposed non-disclosure in her SALN of a piece of real property in the US is an online smear campaign, she added.
Legarda said it is deplorable that people, possibly even some fellow candidates, could engage in such gutter politics.
“You can get my SALN, it’s public record, it’s with the Senate President’s Office,” she said.
Property records in the US show Legarda bought the property on Park Avenue, New York on May 9, 2006 for $700,000.
For his part, Sen. Francis Escudero said he would not waste time or money getting back at people behind the black propaganda against him.
“I can only speak for myself, we are not engaged in that (black propaganda),” he said.
“I’m very tired campaigning and we have huge expenses, so why would we spend money just to destroy others?”
Speaking to STAR editors and reporters Wednesday night, Escudero said he strongly suspects people wishing to land the No.1 spot in the senatorial elections this May 13 who have ambitions to be president or vice president in 2016, hatched up the smear campaign against him.
“Where is this black propaganda coming from? Why are these coming out only now? Whether it’s the elections in 2013 or the elections in 2016, it’s the same,” he said.
Escudero said some of his colleagues in the pro-administration slate had stabbed him in the back, but that he had chosen to ignore them.
Nothing surprises him anymore in politics, he added. – With Paolo Romero
