Roxas must now court allies in coalition for support–Belmonte

In this file photo, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas strides confidently to the podium to introduce President Aquino (seated, center) during an agenda-setting meeting with political allies, civic groups and supporters in Malacañang, with fellow Liberal Party members Senate President Franklin Drilon (left), and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Roxas is the LP’s standard bearer in the 2016 elections. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Now that he has officially declared his presidential bid, Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas should start courting other allies in the administration coalition to get their support in 2016, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said on Friday.

“Siya na ngayon ang (He’s now the) man of the hour; if I were in his shoes, definitely we have very loyal and very good allies and we should run after them and ask them to be a part of the (whole thing),” Belmonte told reporters after President Benigno Aquino III’s endorsement of Roxas’ candidacy at the Club Filipino in San Juan City.

“It’s Mar who has to take the initiative to run after them; kung magpapatulong siya sa akin (if he would ask my help), I will help him,” he said.

The administration coalition is composed of Aquino’s Liberal Party, the Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Akbayan Partylist Group.

Belmonte said he was told that only about half of the 120 LP-congressmen were able to attend the event at the club as many of them were in their respective  districts.

“It’s very understandable; they are in their own districts all over the country… It’s logical that they are in their districts,” he said.

He said there was no need to conduct a loyalty check within the LP or other coalition members, saying he would just leave it up to Roxas to run his own campaign.

READ: Roxas or Poe, Belmonte assures LP coalition unity

“I don’t like to interfere in his campaign. If he ask me to help him in anyway, siyempre I will help,” the Speaker said.

Belmonte assured that he would continue to support Roxas’ bid even if Senator Grace Poe decides to join the presidential race.

“Yes, dito pa rin,” the Speaker added.

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