Philippine Local News

Mar Roxas accused of backing ‘Oplan Stop Nognog in 2016’

October 13, 2014 Philippine Local News

“This conspiracy goes up only to Mar Roxas.”

That’s the claim of Atty. JV Bautista—United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) Secretary General and one of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s spokespersons—on allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth being thrown their way.

Who is ‘Nognog’?  

Bautista further claimed there is a well-funded campaign to discredit the Vice President ahead of the 2016 elections called “Oplan Stop Nognog in 2016.”

“Nognog is a longtime character in a comic strip. He’s supposed to be small dark skinned man. If you ask any LP operative, when they speak of the VP they refer to him under the code ‘Nognog’ derisively,” explained Bautista.

Conspiracy theory

Bautista added members of the Senate Blue ribbon sub-committee which is conducting a probe on the Makati City Hall Building 2 are in on the plan.

Bautista added, “Renato Bondal is a politician. Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, Senator Antonio Trillanes, and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano belong to same political party. You know what’s happening at the Senate? It’s like a striptease.”

Bautista went on to say, “Look at what Mercado did. First he said he went up on a chopper personally and claimed he was there and said he was one of those who took pictures. Immediately after that power point presentation the next step was Trillanes presenting his own power point about what he called the ‘dummy of the VP.’ Then Cayetano gave a presentation, so this was not something spontaneous.”

Questioning Mercado’s moves

Bautista also said that Mercado lied when he said he was on the chopper when he took photos of the Binay’s alleged Batangas property.

“In the flight plan of the chopper which took off at 12:30 p.m. on October 2, 2014—which we got from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)—Mercado’s name was not there. However, Dexter Estacio, a graphic artist who works for Cayetano, was there. He works at the Taguig City Hall,” Bautista pointed out.

Bautista also claimed that the chopper’s owners are connected to Roxas and another Liberal Party member.

He said, “The owner is Buddy Zamora and Eric Gutierrez. Now who is these characters? Buddy Zamora is a billionaire with interests in mining and one of the principal financiers of Mar Roxas. Eric Gutierrez, aside from being a partner of Buddy Zamora, is also a mining partner of Edgar Erice.”

Trillanes reacts

Meanwhile, Trillanes called Bautista’s conspiracy theory  “absurd” saying Bautista should have instead presented proof that the Vice President doesn’t own a massive property in Batangas.

“He didn’t come up with lease of sale or lease agreement or any other documents that could have shown to prove that property was not owned by Binay. Instead come up with absurd conspiracy theories,” said Trillanes.

“It’s how low Atty. JV Bautista would go to cover his crooked boss, the Vice President,” the senator said.

Defending VP Binay

Bautista countered by saying the Vice President himself will present such documents this week though the time and place though have yet to be set.

“The Vice President is a statesman, he cannot go down to the level of Trillanes and Cayetano na parang ginagawang palengke lang ang sub-committee. The VP will maintain and preserve the dignity of his office. He is prepared and poised to become the leader of this country from the highest office of the land,” said Bautista.

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