Will Poe be alternative to Binay?
Political analyst Ramon Casiple said that Sen. Grace Poe (left photo) could be a strong contender if the results of 2013 senatorial election that Poe topped, her performance in the Senate and the latest ratings of potential presidential candidates, particularly the decline in the ratings of Vice President Jejomar Binay (right photo), who leads potential rivals in the 2016 elections, were taken into account. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines–“It’s possible” that Sen. Grace Poe is positioning herself as an alternative presidential candidate in 2016, noting the senator’s mention of “altanghap,” a campaign slogan associated with her late father Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ), according to the independent Institute for Political and Electoral Reform (Iper).
During the 2004 presidential campaign, the elder Poe told an audience that agriculture was his priority agenda. He related that when asked by a foreigner what the main problems of the Filipinos were, he said he replied: “Almusal (breakfast), tanghalian (lunch), hapunan (dinner).”
Supporters of FPJ, the action king, claimed that he lost the election to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because of cheating, as shown by the so-called “Garci tapes” that recorded the phone conversations between then Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and a woman that sounded like Arroyo. They were talking about the canvassing of votes and her need to have a comfortable lead.
Iper executive director Ramon Casiple said that the senator could be a strong contender if the results of 2013 senatorial election that Poe topped, her performance in the Senate and the latest ratings of potential presidential candidates, particularly the decline in the ratings of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who leads potential rivals in the 2016 elections, were taken into account.
In a September Pulse Asia survey, Binay saw his rating take a hit among voters, falling 10-percentage points to 31 percent from a 41-percent voter preference in July amid allegations that he got kickbacks from projects of Makati City when he was its mayor.
“It gives hope to other potential candidates, especially those on the sidelines,” Casiple said.
Furnished a copy of Poe’s privilege speech on hunger and poverty, Clarita Carlos, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, said Poe did not say anything new but gave a graphic description of the state of hunger and poverty in the country.
Asked if she thought the senator might be positioning herself as an alternative candidate for the presidency, Carlos said: “Anybody can run for President, and we are searching for that person.
“It is difficult to second-guess the motives of people. One may claim that she is positioning herself for a national position but I do not want to second-guess her.”–Inquirer Research
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