President Aquino
RICHARD A. REYES/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–President Aquino said he would announce the administration’s presidential candidate in the 2016 elections in June this year.
This was confirmed by Presidential Communication Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. who said the President had made the announcement in an exclusive interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) last Tuesday.
“I heard that because I witnessed the interview and there are plenty of questions related to that. He also said that it was better to wait for what he has to announce,” said Coloma.
He refused to elaborate on the President’s declaration until AFP released its exclusive story on the interview.
Coloma said he confirmed the June announcement because the President himself had expressed the same sentiment in recent public announcements.
He reiterated that while the President was keeping his cards close to his chest, he made hints about the qualities he was looking for in his successor, such as somebody who would continue his anticorruption measures and those who were real allies and not those who were just pretending to support him.