Drilon backs Roxas-Poe tandem in 2016

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Senator Grace Poe. FILE PHOTOS

Senate President Franklin Drilon has joined calls for Senator Grace Poe to become the running mate of Interior Secretary and Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

“Grace Poe has been an ally of the administration. She has been supportive of the administration in the Senate, and yes, we would like Grace Poe to be nominated as running-mate of Mar,” Drilon, vice chairman of LP, said in an interview Thursday.

“We find in Grace Poe somebody who can support the reforms that this administration has been pushing and which we wish to continue in the next administration,” the Senate leader added.

Asked if Roxas could win the presidential race next year without Poe as his running mate, Drilon said: “Mar will build up his strength as a presidential candidate.”

Roxas himself invited Poe on a national television last Tuesday to be his running mate. But the latter reiterated that she was still thinking whether or not to run for a higher post next year.

READ: Mar Roxas asks Grace Poe to be his VP on national TV

Poe emerged as the voters’ top choice for president based on the latest surveys, overtaking the erstwhile frontrunner, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

So far, only Binay and Roxas have declared their presidential bids in 2016. IDL