Poe clearly rejected Roxas’ offer, says LP solon

A LIBERAL Party lawmaker on Tuesday said it is  self-evident that Senator Grace Poe has rejected Interior Secretary Mar Roxas’ offer for her to be his running mate.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali said the latest meeting between Poe and Roxas showed that the senator was not interested in Roxas’ proposal.

“Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan. The fact that all of these reasons are being aired is to show na talagang ayaw niya. E kung ayaw niya e walang pilitan ‘to. Mahirap yung pilit, di ba?” Umali said in a press briefing Tuesday.

Umali said Poe lost her chance to benefit from the LP’s machinery and to better prepare herself for the presidency in 2022.

He said Poe is still lacked the experience to become president in 2016, having been a senator since 2013 only.

“Three years is too short at a time to say that she is ready. Parang prutas yan, mas maganda yung nahihinog. Ang ino-offer ng LP sa kanya na merong syang behikulo to ripen herself to be more effective and better president at the proper time,” said Umali, the brother of LP Treasurer Alfonso Umali.

In an interview Monday, Poe confirmed that Roxas visited her at her home in San Juan City on Sunday night and among the things they discussed was his offer to her to be his running mate.

Poe seemed to have dumped Roxas when she told him that he has other persons to consider for vice president.

“I told [him] he had many potential vice presidential candidates to choose from,” Poe said.