UNA not worried by Roxas move to DILG

MANILA, Philippines – Whether the transfer of Secretary Manuel Roxas II to the Department of Interior and Local Government  is meant to firm up his chances in the 2016 presidential election does not worry the United Nationalists Alliance.

Former President Joseph Estrada on Saturday belittled the advantage that Roxas might have as head of the DILG, confident that Vice President Jejomar Binay would win the next presidential race.

“He beat him in the vice presidential race, so what more in the presidential race?” Estrada said in Filipino, referring to Roxas and Binay’s hotly contested political battle in the 2010 elections. “Vice President Binay has already proven himself.”

Estrada, a senior leader of UNA, noted that Binay’s trust and approval ratings were even higher than those of President Benigno Aquino III in recent surveys.

A Pulse Asia survey conducted from February 26 to March 9 this year showed Binay enjoying an 84-percent approval rating compared with that of the President, who got 70 percent. Another Pulse Asia survey two months later recorded an 81-percent trust rating for Binay and only 67 percent for Aquino.

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Estrada welcomed the appointment of Roxas to replace the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. Roxas headed the Department of Transportation and Communications, which will now be led by Cavite Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya.

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Estrada described Roxas as “good,” recalling the secretary’s stint as trade secretary during his administration. But Estrada said he had reservations on how Roxas would address what he called the “worsening” peace and order situation.

“Mar will be a good administrator,” he said. “My only worry is peace and order. He has no experience in that.”

As DILG boss, Roxas will supervise both the Philippine National Police and local government units. Initially during Robredo’s term, Aquino diluted his functions and tapped his shooting buddy, Undersecretary Rico Puno, to handle PNP matters.

In terms of experience, Estrada said Senator Panfilo Lacson would have been the logical choice for the DILG portfolio. He cited Lacson’s stint as PNP chief, during which the national police enjoyed relatively high approval ratings.

Representative Jerry Treñas of Iloilo acknowledged that “the biggest challenge for Secretary Mar is definitely peace and order.”

“But with his long experience in government and his excellent management skills, I am confident that we would see some immediate improvement on the country’s peace and order situation,” he said in a statement.

“Secretary Mar is an all-around troubleshooter. That’s the reason why the President appointed him in the DOTC at a time when the agency was in some sort of turmoil and now he’s appointed with the DILG because the agency needs the best of the best for this highly sensitive position,” he said.

First posted 9:05 pm | Saturday, September 1st, 2012

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