Jinggoy: Mar Roxas ‘highly qualified’ for president

Detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that administration standard bearer Interior Secretary Mar Roxas is “highly qualified” to be the country’s next president.

In an interview with reporters after attending his bail hearing at the Sandiganbayan 5th Division for his plunder case on Monday, Estrada said that Roxas’ endorsement by President Benigno Aquino III was not a surprise.

“It did not come to me as a surprise. Being a stalwart of the Liberal Party, we already expected President Aquino to endorse Sec. Mar Roxas. In fact Sec. Roxas had been my colleague in 2004 up to 2010 and he has shown professionalism and competence as a senator. To borrow the words of my father, he is highly qualified to run for president,” Estrada said.

The senator said that if Roxas becomes the country’s next chief executive, he hopes that he will “attend and listen positively to the needs of our masses.”

However, despite expressing his confidence for Roxas, Jinggoy said that the Estrada family is not yet backing any candidate just yet.

“I do not want to pre-empt the decision of President Estrada. It’s all up to him. He knows best. He knows who will do what is best for the country. Let us just wait for the decision of President Estrada,” he said.

He also said that other possible candidates in the presidential race like Sen. Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are qualified for the post.

During Monday’s hearing, the prosecution presented National Bureau of Investigation special investigator Dario Sabinalo as a cybercrime expert where his testimony concerned the files of whistleblower Benhur Luy.

Sandiganbayan 5th Division Chair Roland Jurado also announced in open court that additional weekly hearings for the senator’s case will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

On his part, Estrada welcomed the additional hearing days, lamenting that his case has dragged for more than a year and one month. AU