(Eagle News) — President remains hopeful of having Senator Grace Poe and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on board the administration ticket for next year’s elections, as he stressed the importance of a unified group to sustain the government’s reform programs under the banner “Daang Matuwid.”
“We are still hoping. We still want to have that very unified group that will preserve the coalition as much as possible that can ensure the victory of the agenda,” President Aquino told reporters following the celebration of the 111th founding anniversary of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
“Sa maraming dayalogo namin, palagay ko maliwanag na maliwanag kung saan ako nagmumula, ano ang hinahangad ko. She (Poe) has stated it in several meetings, Chiz Escudero has also stated the same thing, (Interior Secretary) Mar Roxas has stated the same thing: We want what is happening to continue,” he said.
The President has held several meetings with Poe and Escudero, who have not bared plans to run in the 2016 elections.
President Aquino has endorsed Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the standard bearer of the Liberal Party for next year’s elections.
When asked who will be Roxas’ running mate, the President said nothing is definite yet.
“Kung sino, sa palagay ko dapat si Secretary Mar ang magsabi niyan. Until matapos ang filing ng ating mga kandidato, ‘yung pagpa-file ng kanilang certificates of candidacy, wala pa tayong pwedeng pag-usapan na tapos,” he said.
The President said that he will be involved in choosing the running mate of Roxas, “but at the end of the day, the presidential candidate should have full confidence in his running mate”.
“Hindi naman solely the decision of Mar. We are a party that prides itself on consensus building. So, we will still have the consensus building, pero kailangan naman nating bigyan ng due importance ang taong magkakaroon ng katrabaho na talagang tutulungan siya,” he added. (based on a PND report)