If he were the political adviser of Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Serge Osmeña III said he would pick Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo to be the former’s running mate in 2016.
“I’ll get Leni Robredo because she’s very saleable, she’s easy to market,” Osmeña said in an interview over radio station DWIZ on Monday.
“Walang ka-issue-issue, daang matuwid na daang matuwid talaga yan. I’d pick Leni (She doesn’t have any issue, she represents the straight path),” he said.
Osmeña doused the administration’s hope that it would still be able to get Senator Grace Poe to become Roxas’ running mate, noting that the lady senator was probably bent on joining next year’s presidential race.
“Well, it’s my feeling that she (Poe) will go for it that’s why she has not done a deal with PNoy (President Benigno Aquino’s nickname), kung hindi di may wedding na sa altar e wala naman…” he said.
The President had met several times with Poe in an alleged effort to convince her to run with Roxas in the 2016 elections.
Last Friday, Aquino officially endorsed Roxas as the administration’s bet in 2016. Roxas is now the second to publicly declare his presidential bid in 2016 next to Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Up to now, however, Binay and Roxas have not yet chosen their running mate.
Asked then why he thinks the two were having a hard time looking for a running mate, Osmeña pointed out the corruption allegations against Binay which he said are forcing people away from him.
He noted that even the President’s sisters, who are friends with the Binays, are now distancing themselves from the Vice President.
“Noon, inindorso pa nga sya ng mga Aquino sisters, ngayon nag-backout na sila. I mean they are now gonna make their distance felt between themselves and an old friend like Jojo (the Vice President’s nickname),” said Osmeña.
“In the case of Mar, people don’t see him as a winner so bakit ako sasama dyan di ba? Ganun po yan. But you know ito po ang sasabihin ko. It’s just an opinion of Serge Osmeña, you don’t need a vice presidential candidate to be a viable presidential candidate,” he further said. AU