Grace Poe a sure winner, says Roxas’ ally
With her lead in the latest presidential opinion polls, neophyte senator Grace Poe is a “sure winner” in the next elections, so said a congressman who is courting her as Interior Secretary Mar Roxas’ vice president in 2016.
Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice said this means Vice President Jejomar Binay, whose lead was cut off, better back out because he is losing his streak in the presidential preference polls amid corruption allegations.
“He should not have decided to seek the presidency. He knows himself. He knows his skeletons yet power has overtaken his senses. He can no longer see what is right nor wrong. Despite all of this he will not back out after five years of reigning as the president in waiting, he will be forever in a state of denial,” Erice said.
Poe, meanwhile, is deemed a sure winner if for the vice presidential spot in 2016, Erice said.
The Liberal Party lawmaker had been courting Poe to run with Roxas in a bid to boost Roxas’ popularity for President.
READ: Roxas may slide down for Poe, says LP
“I can easily say that as VP Senator Poe is a sure winner. Binay consistently drops, (Davao city Mayor Rodrigo) Durerte with all the flashy infomercials and bold statements failed to capture a desired soar, Mar got a double digit for the first time, and (Manila mayor Joseph) Estrada will not run,” Erice said.
In the latest survey conducted May 30-June 5, Poe topped the presidential opinion poll for the first time, chosen by 30 percent of the 1, 200 respondents nationwide. This was an increase of 16 percentage points, from 14 percent in the previous survey conducted March 1-7.
Binay, meanwhile, fell by seven percentage points to 22 percent from 29 percent in March.
Duterte however came in third at 15 percent, up from 12 percent. Former President Estrada got 10 percent of respondents, down from 12 percent.
Roxas tied with Estrada at fourth place with 10 percent of 1,200 respondents favoring them for President.
This was a marked improvement compared to the March survey when Roxas ranked at sixth place with four percent, surpassed even by Senators Bongbong Marcos and Miriam Santiago who got six and nine percent, respectively. Roxas then only tied with Senator Chiz Escudero.
Binay’s camp was noticeably mum on the slump in their bet’s rank, amid allegations that the Vice President benefitted from overpriced infrastructure deals when he was Makati mayor.
When asked how Binay can step up his game, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president, only said: “Ipagpapatuloy lang ni VP ang pangangalaga sa OFW at Housing Sector. Lalo siyang magsisipag para maibangon sa kahirapan ang ating mahihirap na kababayan (The Vice President will continue to take care the OFWs and the housing sector. He will work harder to uplift the lives of our poor countrymen).”
The latest survey was conducted at a period when major news items included the meeting between Poe and President Benigno Aquino III purportedly to discuss her plans for 2016; the residency and foundling issues raised by Binay’s allies against Poe; the continuation of the Senate probe on the corruption allegations against Binay; and the last-minute reprieve given by the Indonesian government to Mary Jane Veloso. TVJ
READ: UNA hits Erice over ‘Oplan Maligno’
