LP denies being source of anti-Villar emails

Although they agree with it, the Noynoy Aquino-led Liberal Party (LP) on Tuesday denied being the source of emails accusing Nacionalista Party’s Manny Villar Jr. of lying about his supposed roots in poverty. “We deny we are the source. The issue is the authenticity of the documents, not the source," said party chairman and senatorial bet Franklin Drilon at a press conference in Cubao. An email sent by “Truth Be Told" to media establishments contained allegations belying Villar's popular claim that he was a self-made billionaire who emerged from dire poverty in the streets of Tondo. It pointed out that Villar’s brother, Danny, had died of leukemia in 1962 at Far Eastern University (FEU) Hospital, a private medical facility, after staying there for 13 days. Villar, in his television ads, blamed poverty for the death of his then three-year-old brother.

The email, which cited Danny's death certificate, said that if Villar and his family were really poor in the past, Danny should have been brought to a government hospital like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). “Kung talagang mahirap sila, sa PGH sana ang naaangkop na ospital para kay Danny (If they were really poor, the PGH would have been the appropriate hospital for Danny.)," the email read. Aquino and Villar are tough rivals in the presidential race. Aquino, a member of the Cojuangco clan, agreed with the email, saying he and his sisters were born in FEU Hospital. “Kaming magkakapatid pinanganak sa FEU Hospital, palagay ko may-kaya po yung pamilya namin (All of us siblings were born at the FEU hospital, and I think we were well-off)," he said during Tuesday’s press briefing. LP senatorial candidate Martin Bautista, a doctor, said nothing could have been done to save Danny at the time because there was no treatment for leukemia in 1962. Martinez said poverty could not be cited as the reason for Danny's death because the first breakthrough in the treatment of childhood leukemia happened in 1965 with the introduction of chemotherapy. “It is regrettable that the late Danny Villar has been dragged into a mess that his own brother created to project a 'tunay na mahirap' [genuine poor] image. But truth has a way of finding light so everyone can see through the slick and gloss of propaganda," Bautista said. Villar has denied the accusations in the email, saying his advertisements are being targeted for criticisms because they are effective. - KBK, GMANews.TV