Senator Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO
The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) may support Sen. Grace Poe in 2016 as a “debt of gratitude” to her late father.
NPC spokesperson and Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian said former action star and presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr. supported and campaigned for many NPC candidates during the 2004 elections.
“A lot of NPC members want to pay debt of gratitude for what her father did,” Gatchalian said in an interview with ANC Headstart.
As to criticisms that Poe still lacks experience to pursue the top national post next year, Gatchalian said the critics of the lady senator should also consider looking at her stint in the private sector.
“Poe may have a short tenure in public office, but her private sector experience should count when looking at her track record,” he added.
However, Gatchalian said Poe, who topped recent pre-election surveys for both potential presidential and vice presidential bets, told NPC members that she is “still pondering” if she will seek higher office in 2016.
On Tuesday night, Poe and Sen. Francis Escudero met with NPC at the party’s headquarters on Balete Drive in Quezon City.
READ: NPC sizes up Roxas, Poe
Poe said there were no formal talks in connection with the 2016 elections, but added that individual party members encouraged her to run.
Saying that NPC wanted to know Poe better, Gatchalian noted that last night’s gathering was a “social event.”
He added that Escudero has been frequently invited in NPC events as he was a former member of the party.
Gatchalian said NPC, who also met with Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas early Tuesday morning, is not one to send mixed signals, noting that the party is still in the “consultation stage.”
He added that the party is also open to supporting Vice President Jejomar Binay, as many individual members are also backing him.
“NPC will push for one candidate. Why are we in a party if we can’t support one candidate?” Gatchalian added.
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