Video by Ryan Leagogo
IT now becomes clear for Senator Grace Poe that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas is gunning for the presidency after the latter asked her to team up with him.
“Si Secretary Mar Roxas mas malinaw sa akin ngayon ang kanyang pakay. Paminsan-minsan, pag nagkikita kami nababanggit nya mas magandang magkasama kami,” Poe told reporters on Wednesday when asked if Roxas has offered her to be his vice president in 2016.
(Secretary Mar Roxas’ intention became more clear to me now. Sometimes, when we see each other, he mentioned that it would be better if we will join forces.)
“Pero ang sinabi ko nga, hindi naman sa pagkakaibigan lamang kelangan meron din kayong parehong pananaw sa mga bagay-bagay at kompyansa sa isa’t isa bago magkaroon ng desisyon sa mga ganyan,” she said.
(But as I said, it’s not only the friendship. You should also share the same views and you should also have confidence in each other before you make a decision.)
But while they shared the same views on certain issues such as to continue the fight against corruption, Poe pointed out that she also has other opinion on other matters.
The senator said the last time she and Roxas talked about the 2016 polls was when they accidentally met in a restaurant last week.
In that meeting, she said, Roxas intimated that he wanted her to be his running mate.
She said Roxas made no formal offer but expressed his desire to join forces with her.
“Sa tingin ko higit naman sa paramdam yun,” Poe said. “I think malinaw naman. Handa na nga sya . Handa na sya.”
Asked to clarify if what she meant was that Roxas was ready to run for president, the senator said, “Sa tingin ko handa na naman syang tumakbo, di ba sinabi na naman nya yun?”
But when told that Roxas simply stated that he was ready to continue the administration’s right path, Poe said, “Ah ganun ba? Baka na-misinterpret ko lang. Sorry, sorry.”
READ: Mar Roxas: I am ready to continue straight path
Despite his high ranking in the surveys, Poe remained undecided whether or not to run for a higher post next year.
“Unang-una pinagdadasal pa kung talagang kailangang tumakbo sa mas mataas na position. Pangalawa hindi naman ako plastic na magsasabi kung sinong gustong sumama sa layuning makatulong sa mas nakakarami nating mga kababayan,” she said.
The senator said that while she continued to have high regards for President Benigno Aquino III, she would remain independent.
Poe first ran and won as senator in 2013 under Aquino’s senatorial ticket. AC