Sen. Grace Poe. JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The meeting called by President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang with Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Senator Grace Poe and Senator Francis Escudero did not come up with any decision on who would be the administration’s standard bearer in 2016.
Nevertheless, Poe, in a text message, said the meeting that started at 7 p.m. Wednesday and ended past 1 a.m. Thursday concluded with the four of them agreeing that the country could only move forward with the “right leadership.”
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“Maganda at maayos ang aming pag uusap. Lahat kami ay sang-ayon na nakasalalay sa tamang liderato ang pagsulong ng ating bansa,” (The meeting went well. We all agreed that moving the country forward depended on the right leadership) Poe said.
This kind of leadership would ensure that good governance would not be wasted but strengthened in the next six years, the senator said.
She said they agreed that the voice of the people was of the utmost importance.
“Nagkasundo kami na ang pinakamahalaga ay isaalang-alang ang boses at gabay ng ating mga kababayan para masiguro na hindi mawaldas at mapalakas pa ang maayos na paraan ng pamamalakad ng gobyerno sa darating na susunod na anim na taon,” she said.
(That’s why we agreed that the most important thing is to consider the voice of our countrymen to ensure that the right path that this administration has started will not be wasted and will further strengthen in the next six years)
Poe has been leading the latest presidential survey of Pulse Asia, said in a text message.
Asked if they reached an agreement on who to support in the 2016 presidential race, Poe said: “Wala pa.”
“May mga meeting pa ulit next week,” she further said.
Escudero, meanwhile, said that the meeting touched on other issues aside from the 2016 elections.
“The meeting was cordial and relaxed. We talked about a lot of things other than 2016. I confirm Sen. Poe’s account of the meet and PNoy will also issue a statement regarding the dinner that he hosted. We ate Chinese food,” Escudero said in a statement.
Poe and Escudero have not publicly declared yet whether or not to run for a higher post next year while Roxas is being pushed by Aquino’s Liberal Party (LP) to be its presidential bet in 2016.
Escudero has been the voters’ top choice for vice president based on various surveys. Maila Ager