Palace no comment on Binay-Roxas tie-up

Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Sunday remained mum on whether President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party was considering working with opposition leader Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Communications Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. reiterated his earlier statement that it was not their job to serve as spokespersons of LP.

“E kasi po ‘yung sa amin pong tungkulin bilang nagsasalita para sa Pangulo ay hindi po kami talaga nagfofocus sa mga strictly political developments po, ano, at ang atin pong focus talaga ay ‘yung sa trabaho ng gobyerno,” he said over state-run radio dzRB.

(It is not our focus, as spokespersons of the President, to delve into strictly political developments. Our focus is on the work of the government.)

Malacañang has so far refused to say what Aquino thought of Binay, who is close to the Aquino family because of his ties with former President Corazon Aquino, and his claim that LP was thinking of adopting him or coalescing with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Binay, who is eyeing the presidential seat, also recently said he was willing to have Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as his running mate in 2016.

Binay and Roxas have been considered bitter rivals after Roxas lost his vice presidential bid in 2010.

But Binay said “nothing is impossible in politics.”

Aquino is believed to be grooming Roxas as his successor. Before running for vice president, Roxas was poised to run as LP’s presidential bet but that changed when Mrs. Aquino died, prompting calls for her son to run for higher office.

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