BUSAN, South Korea (Eagle News Service) — President Aquino said Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas should not be counted out of the 2016 presidential race, even if latest Pulse Asia survey results showed he dropped to 6th place among the possible contenders.
In an interview here at Busan, President Aquino said it is way too early to predict how possible presidential contenders would fare.
President Aquino said there were people who will say that the most important survey is the one right before the campaign.
“So, siguro ‘yung mga mahilig pumusta wala sigurong pupusta ngayon sa resulta ng survey na ‘yan. At the end of the day, ‘yung — we, in the party, ano, and we are not talking specifically of Secretary Roxas,” he said
In its November survey for the May 2016 elections, Pulse Asia reported that only six percent of respondents said they would vote for Roxas as president, down from 13 percent in the September survey.
Vice President Jejomar Binay remained the top choice of Filipinos for the presidential race.
Roxas, the presumptive standard bearer of Aquino’s Liberal Party, was overtaken by Senators Grace Poe, Miriam Santiago and Francis Escudero and Manila mayor Joseph Estrada.
While the President said the Liberal Party has yet to decide its presidential bet, some political analysts observed that the administration party may choose an outsider, such as Poe.
“The bottom line is: we think the political process can be further nurtured if we shift from being a party of personalities to a party of issues.” Aquino said.
“We believe that we in the LP and those who had joined us in those coalition have produced a product that has redounded to the benefit or — really good benefits accruing to the people and that they would want to perpetuate the same. “ he added. (Weng dela Fuente, Eagle News Service)
