LP exec: Poe ties with Escudero mired Aquino plans for her

President Benigno Aquino III and Senator Grace Poe. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/REM ZAMORA

The plot is out.

The President would have wanted Senator Grace Poe to be the running mate of Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas in 2016, then she would be given a Cabinet portfolio and an administration’s endorsement in 2022, a Liberal Party (LP) official disclosed on Friday.

But that plan apparently did not materialize supposedly because of Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, said LP treasurer and Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso “Boy” Umali Jr.

Umali is also a close friend of President Benigno Aquino III since they were members of the House of Representatives.

“Ang gusto kasi ni Presidente continuous ‘yung matuwid na daan, 18 years,” he told reporters in an interview at the Club Filipino in San Juan city.

(The president wants continuity in the straight path for 18 years)

“So after him, Mar sana at kinukuha si Grace as Vice President tapos after that bibigyan ng magagandang portfolio para come 2022, si Grace ang magpi-presidente,” he said.

(So after him, Mar would continue it, then Grace as Vice President will be given a good portfolio to aid her in 2022.)

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

But Umali said Escudero suddenly came into the picture.

“Ang sabi ni Grace, papano naman si Chiz? Mukhang committed s’ya kay Chiz,” he said.

(But Grace said, what about Chiz? She looks committed to Chiz.)

READ: Poe-Escudero tandem still up in the air, says Senator Grace

“So ‘yun ang problema. So gusto sana pag-ayusin si Chiz at Mar kaya lang parang mahirap kasi alam naman natin ag nangyari noong eleksyon, Noy-Bi si Chiz,” the governor said.

(So that’s the problem. We wanted to fix the relationship of Chiz and Mar, but that’s quite impossible because of what happened in the last elections.)

Noy-Bi stands for Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay, a tandem endorsed by Escudero during the 2010 presidential race.

Roxas was Aquino’s running mate in 2010 but Escudero opted to support Binay, who was then the running mate of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

“As the ruling party kami LP, alangan naman kumuha kami ng president at vice president from the outside, mukhang out of the picture ‘yun. Malabong-malabo yun,” said Umali.

(As the ruling party, we at LP wouldn’t endorse someone outside the party for president and vice president. That is quite impossible.)

Since Escudero could not be endorsed by the party for vice president since he is not a member, Umali said he could still be given a Cabinet post such as head of the Department of Interior and Local Government, which is now being headed by Roxas or the senator could become the next Senate President .

“Pwede syang ipa-appoint, bigyan ng position, SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government) or kung ano man or siguro pwedeng Senate President pwede, kaya lang ayaw nila,” he further said.

(He can be appointed as SILG or Senate President, but they do not want to.)

Despite the apparent breakdown of talks between Aquino and Poe, Umali said the vice presidential slot is still open for the lady senator

But if Poe was not really keen on running with Roxas, Umali said the LP has three other options for vice president —Senate Majority Leader Alan Cayetano, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos. IDL