LP lawmakers see Binay-Roxas fight for presidency

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

The 2016 presidential race is down to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay, according to a group of Liberal Party (LP) congressmen.

Taking the rising Sen. Grace Poe out of the equation, the LP lawmakers ON Wednesday said they believed the race for Malacañang next year would become a “one-on-one” between Roxas and Binay, both of whom would enjoy the support of political machinery and party coalitions not available to other candidates.

“It’s really the administration party and [the] UNA (United Nationalist Alliance) that are capable of having candidates” with the means to win, said Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas, chair of the LP’s organizing and membership committee.

“Ultimately I think that will happen,” he said in answer to the question whether Roxas and Binay would be the last men standing when the 2016 race for the Palace finally opened.

Highly possible

Davao del Norte Rep. Anthony del Rosario also thought the prospect was “highly possible.”

“It looks like the direction is going to be a one-on-one between Roxas and Binay,” Del Rosario told a news conference.

Three other LP members—Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, Batangas Rep. Sonny Collantes and Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez—agreed with Treñas and Del Rosario, batting for Roxas as the standard-bearer of the party in 2016.

The five congressmen seemed convinced that Roxas, who is running behind Binay and Poe in the polls, was going to be announced as the LP candidate, after President Aquino’s declaration that he was at the top of the administration’s list of candidates.

Aquino’s praise

Del Rosario said he would be disappointed if Roxas was not chosen as the President’s candidate.

“But we heard the President’s words. We’ve heard the praises. We do not believe the President would choose anybody else other than Secretary Mar Roxas,” he said.

As for Poe, who has stated she prefers to run as an independent, the lawmakers said they would like to see her as Roxas’ vice presidential running mate.

“It would be a nice [team] if they could get Senator Poe. She may lack the necessary experience, but she may be a President-in-waiting as the Vice President,” Collantes said.

Asked to comment on surveys showing Roxas lagging behind Binay and Poe, the congressmen recalled the 2010 vice presidential election when Roxas, who was posting double digits in the polls to Binay’s single digits, was overtaken by Binay when the campaign began.

‘Unbeatable’

One of the lawmakers also suggested that Roxas did not really need Poe in spite of her bigger numbers.

“If you ask me, a Mar Roxas-Grace Poe tandem would be best, so that there will be continuity down the road … but with or without Senator Grace, [Roxas] should still run for President,” Belmonte said.

He said he believed Roxas could stand on his own even without a running mate as popular as Poe.

In a separate interview, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said either a Roxas-Poe or Poe-Roxas ticket would be “unbeatable.”

Belmonte said Roxas “should court Grace.”

Asked if he agreed that Roxas could win the election without Poe, Belmonte said: “It will be difficult, but I think he can do it.”

The Speaker said a team made up of Poe and Sen. Francis Escudero would also be formidable, but would ultimately be trumped by a Roxas-Poe combination.

Originally posted as of 8:43 PM | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

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