MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) campaign manager Butch Abad denied reports of a move within the ranks of their camp to junk vice-presidential candidate Senator Manuel Roxas II in favor of Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay.

Abad said the “intrigue” may be coming from the camp of Roxas' rival, Senator Loren Legarda of the Nacionalista Party (NP).

“No. It may be coming from the camp of Mayor Binay or Loren or both, but likely the latter, as Loren is the nearest competitor. But the relationship of 'Noy and Mar is too strong to be affected by the intrigue,” Abad told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak when asked whether the Junk Roxas reports are true.

"Even Senator Roxas will simply ignore it. He has figured out how to sew up the VP race, and he has discounted such tactics in his planning. Nothing to fear. Just part of the game,” Abad added.

“That intrigue is not coming from the Liberal Party,” added Aquino spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

Former Arroyo government peace negotiator Teresita 'Ging' Deles, a member of the Aquino campaign team, also dismissed the report.

“That’s crazy and doesn’t make political sense,” Ging Deles said.

Binay's close ties with Aquino family

ABS-CBN's Lynda Jumilla on Thursday reported that some relatives of LP presidential candidate Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III are secretly supporting Binay, who is close to the Aquino family, and was even member of the so-called “Yellow Army” of Cory supporters in 1986.

An alleged campaign photo of Aquino and Binay has been making the rounds of political circles, portraying them as a tandem that promises compassion and performance.

Jumilla said talk was rife that some quarters in Aquino's campaign are secretly pushing for an Aquino-Binay ticket.

Binay, running mate of former President Joseph Estrada said he's not surprised with the reports, pointing out that he has been an ally of the Aquinos since 1986. He said it's up to the voters to decide who they want to support.

Jumilla reported that as a Cory loyalist and lieutenant, Binay is close to members of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan. Quoting a source in the LP coalition, she said some in the clan are inclined to privately support Binay.

The Chiz-Binay connection

Jumilla also reported that Senator Francis 'Chiz' Escudero's media team is helping out in Aquino's campaign, and that the former presidential wannabe was expected to announce his support for Aquino soon.

She reported that Escudero is close to Binay, having been together in the late Fernando Poe Jr.'s presidential campaign, and the subsequent United Opposition (UNO) campaign sorties in 2004.

But Escudero, in a text messsage to ABS-CBN, denied he is already backing Aquino. He said that he has not and "will not yet make announcement regarding who I will support."

Jumilla also reported that the Roxas camp was not worried, though somewhat irritated, by the apparent junking. She pointed out that Roxas leads Binay by a mile in the vice presidential surveys.

The latest by Pulse Asia survey showed Roxas on top with 47%, and Binay a far third with 13%.

Aquino, for his part, also denied Roxas was being junked in favor of Binay.

NP alleges Junk-Mar bid

Meanwhile, the Nacionalista Party (NP) on Friday joined the controversy. In a party statement e-mailed to the media, NP said this "chaos within the LP" will cost Aquino the presidential elections.

“We have it in good word that there is now a rift between Senator Aquino and his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas. Rumors are swirling about an ‘unofficial’ Aquino team-up with Jejomar Binay, who is the running mate of former President Joseph Estrada,” the NP statement said.

The NP adopted Legarda of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) as its vice-presidential candidate.

“Since late last year, Senator Aquino has set up special operations outside of the LP machinery that excluded Senator Roxas. Apparently he does not know anything, or that people within his own party are planning against him behind his back,” the NP statement said.

“There are anti-Mar forces within the LP who have been trying to marginalize him. Some people around Senator Aquino are already setting their sights on 2016 after assuming that Noynoy had all but bagged the presidency. But they all panicked after recent surveys showed his ratings falling and Mar’s zooming up,” the NP said.

“They can blame everybody for their misery now. But at the end of this campaign, they will have to look back to this moment if and when they lose the elections. We hope they will have the courage and the humility to blame themselves for their looming debacle,” Villar's party said. – Carmela Fonbuena, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak; with a report from Lynda Jumilla, ABS-CBN News