Aquino seeks Roxas-Poe meet

Doing a Cory?

Mr. Aquino recalled the situation in 1992 when several allies of his mother, then President Corazon Aquino, vied for the presidency, said Escudero.

President Cory chose not to endorse the ruling party’s presumptive presidential bet, House Speaker Ramon Mitra, a most loyal Cory supporter through the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship. President Cory endorsed Fidel Ramos.

But given that the President has not decided yet who to back, it would be difficult to say whether his chosen one could get the coalition’s backing, he noted.

Meeting with Roxas

Escudero said he was open to the meeting with Roxas, and was leaving the agenda up to the President.

As to what such a meeting could accomplish, he said it could keep lines open between each of them.

“Whatever the decision of anyone, it would not be a reason to fight, lambast each other or take things personally. We can always learn something from discussions, dialogues could always contribute something good. There is nothing to lose,” he said.

Escudero said he and Roxas are on speaking terms.

But there is no ignoring their political history. In 2010, Escudero endorsed the vice-presidential candidacy of Jejomar Binay over that of Roxas, who was Mr. Aquino’s running mate. Binay won.

But Escudero and Binay have apparently had a falling-out. In 2013, Binay dropped Escudero from his party’s senatorial slate after he failed to appear in the party’s sorties. Escudero was one of the common candidates of the opposition and administration coalitions before Binay decided to dump him.

Escudero said his meeting with the President would help him in making up his mind whether or not to run for higher office in 2016.

Roxas reaction

Sought for comment earlier yesterday about the President’s meeting with the two senators, Roxas said he agreed that the LP and its coalition allies should maintain their relationship and rally behind common candidates in 2016.

Those supporting the President’s daang matuwid (straight path) advocacy should join together in continuing its gains during the past five years, he told reporters in Batangas City.

“That’s how it should be,” he said, “because those who are supporting ‘daang matuwid’ are advocating stability in our country and we maintain our belief that if there’s no corruption, there’s no poverty.”

Asked if he and the President would sit down with Poe and Escudero, Roxas said he was scheduled to meet with Mr. Aquino over lunch yesterday.

Asked who between Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte he would choose as his running mate, Roxas quipped: “Why only them? We have a partner here in Batangas,” referring to Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, the wife of Sen. Ralph Recto, an LP member.

Pressed further if Santos may eventually end up as his running mate, he replied: “Why not? (But) it’s not for me to say.” With reports from Marlon Ramos and Nikko Dizon/ TVJ