(BY Joyce Panares, C/O Manila Standard TODAY)
FOR the nth time, President Benigno Aquino III played coy on whether he will seek a term extension or not, throwing the question instead to the public, whose sentiments, he said, will shape his final decision.
Aquino, in an interview en route to Belgium aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan, said if majority of the Filipinos want a fresh mandate for him, then there has to be a constitutional way to address the clamor.
But when pressed for a categorical answer on whether he wants a term extension, Aquino said his “consultations” with his bosses continue.
Speculation on whether the President will seek a fresh mandate has been going on for more than a month now amid vague statements from the Palace and Aquino himself that have left much room for interpretation.
In Manila, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte begged off from giving a categorical yes or no answer.
“Well, you know, some questions cannot be answered as quickly at the time that we want them to be answered. But, you know, the benefit of hearing all of this is hearing the President’s thoughts on certain matters, which previously we did not have any insight into,” Valte said.
“I can tell you that we don’t read between the lines, especially for the spokespersons. We always take our cue from the President and the President always advises us on what positions to take because, essentially, we are just echoing the President’s positions,” she said.
Valte, however, confirmed that consultations with various sectors continue, but declined to give details as to who are being consulted and how many need to be consulted to comprise what the President described as a “majority” of the Filipino people.
During last week’s agenda-setting dialog at the Palace, Aquino said he continues to listen to his bosses even as he coyly added that he hopes he is not the politician who will be tasked with the job of continuing the reforms he has initiated beyond 2016.
