Aquino focused on work, not on 2016 politicking — Palace

By: Christian V. Esguerra - 10 years ago

President Benigno S. Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Give him a break.

Malacañang asked politicians, on Sunday, not to “second-guess” President Benigno Aquino III on his choice as administration standard-bearer in the 2016 elections, saying politics was “not a priority” for him at this point.

“Let us not second-guess him because the President is attending to so many priorities,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in Filipino over Radyo ng Bayan.

Aquino has kept mum on who he prefers to succeed him two years from now. But in his last State of the Nation Address, the President called on voters to go for someone “who will, without a shred of doubt, continue the transformation we are achieving.”

The presumptive standard-bearer is Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas, who had given way to Aquino and decided to instead run as his vice presidential candidate in the 2010 elections. Roxas was subsequently upset by then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, who is now eyeing the presidency.

Binay expressed openness on Saturday to tapping Roxas as his running mate in 2016, like he’s also willing to pick Sen. Francis Escudero.

“Nothing is impossible in politics. Everything is possible,” the Vice President said, referring to a possible coalition between his United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and Aquino’s Liberal Party.

Binay had also criticized calls for a term extension for Aquino, saying such proposals were “selfish.”

“It was a selfish proposal to begin with, motivated more by personal rather than national interest,” he said in a statement.

But the President’s allies continued to pitch for another six-year term for him, one that would obviously require constitutional amendments.

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas said on Sunday now would be “the best time to change the Constitution because we may never have another chance to have a President who is proven not only as an honest and effective leader but also one who has no other ambition but to turn the Philippines into a great and progressive nation.”

“We are sure that he will never abuse power. I think that we should not waste this opportunity,” he said in a statement.

Coloma said the President “continues to listen to the voice of the people,” but maintained that Aquino has been “preoccupied with many other things” other than talk of a term extension.

“There’s no such talk [with the Cabinet] because we’re not devoting time on that because we’re preoccupied with so many priority programs,” he said.