One source story

JEERS to The Daily Tribune for a single-sourced report on the alleged plan of 2010 Liberal Party  Vice Presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II to oust House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte once he officially assumes office as Malacañang Chief of Staff. The source was mentioned but not even  named.

The May 23 report “Mar seen moving to oust Belmonte” cited as source an unnamed member of the majority bloc in the House of Representatives,  who allegedly said that Roxas’  first project when he assumes office on June is the ouster of Belmonte.

The source said that Roxas has long been at odds with Belmonte after he lost heavily in Quezon City where Belmonte served as mayor for nine years. The conflict was aggravated when  Belmonte was identified with the Samar Group which supported Roxas’ chief rival, now Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The Tribune source said that part of Roxas’ plan is the withholding of the congressmen’s Priority Assistance Development Fund (PDAF) popularly known as pork barrel.

The Tribune’s source stated that Roxas is eyeing LP spokesperson, Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya to replace Belmonte.

The report also mentioned President Benigno Aquino’s possible involvement in the move to oust Belmonte.

“At the end of the day, it should be (President) Aquino who should be blamed for the failure of the government to deliver basic services to the people by delaying the release of our PDAF and not Roxas nor Belmonte because it is him (Aquino) who had given in to the whims of Roxas,” said the source.

“It’s his (Aquino) call and nobody else’s.”

The following day, with a follow-up report entitled “LP plots House coup, backs Abaya as speaker,” the Tribune interviewed Abaya, Belmonte and Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda to air their sides of the story. However, the report failed to get the most important voice that needs to be heard—that’s of Roxas.

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