BALER, Aurora – The camp of Baler Mayor Arthur Angara has accused his rival, Vice Gov. Gerardo Noveras of allegedly resorting to black propaganda in the final days of the campaign.
Angara, younger brother of Sen. Edgardo Angara, alleged the Noveras’ camp has been peddling lies in the campaign trail regarding the state of his health and even spread the rumor that he died.
But Noveras quickly denied the charges.
The usually reserved Angara said when he goes out to the barangays to campaign, people have been asking him if he’s already okay. When he asked them why they were asking that way, he said the people told him they have received reports of his failing health.
“Even before the campaign started, all sorts of rumors have been thrown my way. The first time I went to Dingalan, people said they were surprised to see me walking because they heard I was in a wheelchair.
In the last week of April, they said I already died while campaigning in the town of Dilasag. In San Luis town, they said I was paralyzed. In the northern towns, they said I suffered from heat stroke four times. Then recently, their camp said I collapsed while campaigning in Dipaculao,” Angara said.
He said the rumor that he died in Dilasag was spread by Noveras’ brother-in-law, identified as a certain Wilson Oropilla.
“If he (Noveras) is educated, he should prevent his own camp from spreading this kind of disinformation.
We should elevate the campaign to a higher level and we should refrain from engaging in black propaganda,” he said.
“What is important is for each candidate to show what he can do for the improvement of the quality of life of Aurorans,” he added.
Angara’s sister, outgoing Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, who is seeking a return stint in Congress where she served previously for three terms, said gutter politics should have no place in Aurora where platforms and programs should prevail over personalities and character assassination.
“To me, mudslinging is a sign of desperation and emptiness because if you have concrete platforms and programs, why concentrate on the negative?” she said.
Sought for comment, Noveras denied resorting to black propaganda to prop up his bid.
“I have no knowledge of that. And I have instructions to my relatives not to resort to mudslinging. I don’t even attend meetings of my partymates so I don’t know those things,” he said.
He said he would just concentrate on his campaign and would not dignify such kinds of accusations from his rival camp.
“I will no longer answer these allegations. I have a clean conscience,” he said.
