Roxas mum on pairing with Binay in 2016 polls

‘WE CAN’T GO ON MEETING LIKE THIS’ Feuding archrivals DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Vice President Jojo Binay have been thrown in each other’s company for two days meeting, saying goodbye to Obama. On Tuesday at Army HQ on BGC they not only meet but greet. LOREN LEGARDA

MANILA—Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has remained evasive on the idea of a possible tie-up with his 2010 rival, Vice President Jejomar Binay, in the 2016 national elections.

Interviewed by reporters after rights marking the 113th anniversary of the Philippine National Police, where he was one of the guests, Roxas parried questions on a Binay-Roxas team-up.

Roxas was asked twice about the subject, but made no comment.

Roxas is the president-on-leave of the Liberal Party, but he has remained mum on his plans for the 2016 presidential election although he has been going around distributing checks to local government units in the country’s disaster areas.

On the other hand, Binay has been vocal about his plans to run for president in 2016. He won over Roxas in the 2010 vice-presidential race.

Instead of answering the reporters’ questions, Roxas chose to thank those who attended the PNP anniversary and then extolled the virtues of the Liberal Party.

Reporters tried again to get him to speak on rumors that Binay might join the Liberal Party, but they failed to get a direct reply.

Roxas said it might be better to ask the source of the Binay-Roxas rumors, saying many politicians wanted to join the Liberal Party because of its good standing.

Early this week, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Roxas was the Liberal Party’s standard bearer should the interior secretary decide  to run for president in 2016.

Rumors about a possible Binay-Roxas team gained credence after President Aquino’s  sisters virtually endorsed Binay instead of Roxas, who was still lagging in recent  surveys.