Roxas mum on 2019 political plans; wants to focus on family
Former Senator Mar Roxas kept mum on Tuesday about his political plans in 2019, saying he is concentrating on his family now.
“I’m concentrating now on my family and my mom. Marami akong utang sa kanila,” Roxas said in a text message when asked if he would join the 2019 senatorial race.
Roxas ran but lost to President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections.
In an interview at the Senate on Monday, Senator Bam Aquino disclosed that certain groups are urging Roxas to join next year’s senatorial race.
“Hindi pa kami nag uusap tungkol dito, hindi ko pa rin alam pero alam ko may mga grupong inuudyok syang tumakbo,” Aquino said of Roxas.
Aquino was the lone opposition member who entered the list of possible winners in next year’s polls based on the latest Pulse Asia while Roxas ranked between 14th to 19th.
READ: Poe tops ‘Magic 12’ – Pulse Asia survey
Despite this, Aquino remained hopeful that more opposition members would land in the Magic 12 come Election Day next year.
“Natutuwa naman po tayo na nasama tayo dun sa list of possible winners… Pero sabi ko nga sana po mas marami pang mga nasa opposition ang makapasok rin po,” he said.
“Anyway, isang taon pa naman po yan, that only means na kailangan doblehin po ang efforts ng opposition para mas dumami po kami na makasama dun po sa Magic 12.”
The senator underscored the need for more opposition members in the Senate, not only to assert its independence but also to stand up against alleged abuses of the present administration.
READ: Bam Aquino to join ‘genuine’ opposition slate in 2019
The opposition line up, he said, would be open also to re-electionist senators.
Aside from Aquino, other senators who are up for re-election in 2019 are Senators Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, and Senate President Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III, who is president of the ruling PDP-Laban.
Pimentel also listed the re-electionist senators, except for Aquino, as part of PDP-Laban’s possible senatorial bets next year.
READ: Who are PDP-Laban’s possible Senate bets for 2019? Koko shows the 20 names /muf
