LP leaves door open to Poe; Party members still want her for VP

Escudero, Cayetano, Robredo

Thus, “we are not yet discounting Senators Grace Poe or Chiz Escudero. The same [is true] with [Senators Alan Peter] Cayetano, [Antonio] Trillanes [IV], and [Camarines Sur Rep. Leni] Robredo, among others,” Evardone said.

Abad said Roxas may not ask Poe to be his running mate.

“Knowing Sec Mar, he may not find it respectful for him to relegate Senator Poe to be a Vice Presidential candidate since she is [touted] to be among the presidentiables,” the budget secretary said.

On commentaries that Roxas has no fighting chance in May, Abad said all of these were premature because the reckoning should come in May.

“[Today] would be the only time that Sec Mar will publicly tell the world that he is available to run for president. And [today] will be the time when he will be endorsed by the President as his choice as the administration coalition candidate.”

Go signal given

Salceda was attending the meeting of the core group supporting the presidential bid of Roxas in Manila on Wednesday when he got a call from the latter that the President had “given the go signal” or will officially anoint him as the LP standard-bearer.

The Albay governor said the formal announcement would be made in a convention of LP members, mostly governors, congressmen, city and town mayors.

He said Roxas would be expected to resign soon from the Department of the Interior and Local Governments to concentrate on his campaign and party building.

Salceda said that based on his discussion with Roxas and the others in the Balay group, or the pro-Roxas group in Malacañang, he would be “making robust inputs to the national campaign” aside from being regional LP chair in Bicol.

After the endorsement on Friday, some 1,000 LP members will congregate on Tuesday next week at the Gloria Maris. This would be followed by a meeting with the governors. On the same day, Roxas is scheduled to meet leaders of civil society organizations.

Local officials in the Visayas welcomed the President’s expected endorsement of Roxas and vowed to work and ensure his victory in the 2016 presidential election.

“We will do everything that we can to help him win,” said Roxas City Mayor Alan Celino.

Celino said the people of the city were jubilant that one of their own would be endorsed by Mr. Aquino as the administration’s presidential candidate.

He said it was their pride to have Roxas run for the presidency.

Large Negros delegation

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. will lead a large delegation of Negros Occidental officials, attending the President’s formal anointing of Roxas as the LP standard-bearer.

Marañon said he always maintained that the President would choose Roxas as the LP standard-bearer because he was the most qualified.

Joining Marañon are Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Negros Occidental, 4th District), and mayors, board members and other supporters of Roxas in the province.

Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson of the NPC, who is also a Roxas supporter said “Mar is prepared to be the next president of the republic. Competency and integrity are key traits that we should be looking for.” NPC is a member of the ruling coalition.

Guiuan town Christopher Sheen Gonzales, NP chair in Eastern Samar province, said that even if he belongs to NP, he would support Roxas for the presidency.

He said Roxas has the qualities to become the president considering his vast experience in the government. “He has helped us a lot during (Supertyphoon) ‘Yolanda’ and (Typhoon) ‘Ruby.’ I am just paying our debt of gratitude,” he said.

Leyte Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto, brother of Health Secretary Janette Garin, said Mr. Aquino made a good decision in selecting Roxas, who he said, had many achievements.