Despite nonendorsement, Roxas thanks Aquino for kind words

By: Ralph John Mijares - 10 years ago

President Benigno Aquino III and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas (left). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

ROXAS CITY, Philippines—A grateful Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has thanked President Benigno Aquino III for his kind words during the Independence Day celebration in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, on Friday.

“I would like to thank the President for the trust he has given me. I accept this not only for myself, but also for the government employees not only in the Department of the Interior and Local Government but also those whom I have worked with,” Roxas said on Saturday.

Roxas was at the Capiz Gymnasium in this city to distribute P120-million worth of checks to 397 barangays for the repair of barangay halls, civic centers and day care centers damaged by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in November 2013.

During the Independence Day rites, President Aquino praised Roxas as a dependable worker who always got the job done.

But Mr. Aquino stopped short of endorsing Roxas as his successor in 2016.

READ: Aquino close to endorsing Roxas as his anointed / Palace on Roxas: Let Aquino’s words speak for themselves

Roxas told reporters here that the President’s words would be his “source of inspiration and a challenge to continue what had been started.”

But he downplayed his achievements as being “not perfect.”

“There is no such thing as perfection. But we have come far. We have done a lot. And if we continue the daang matuwid, we can go farther and we can do more,” Roxas said.

READ: Roxas on Aquino’s praises: We’ve come a long way

Asked about his run for presidency, Roxas replied that it was not about him.

“This is not about Mar Roxas. This is about our countrymen. This is about how we can hasten the services our countrymen need. They deserve it. They deserve the best the government can give them,” he said.

At one point, Roxas took the microphone to address a barangay official who had commented that the assistance they had received was too small.

The secretary, a native of Capiz, said the assistance should be considered a “blessing” because it means their barangay sustained minimal damage during Yolanda.

“Whether the amount was big or small, you can count on me being there for you. I will not abandon you,” he said.