Aquino rejects call to become Roxas’ VP

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has thumbed down a call by one of his allies in the House of Representatives urging him to become the running mate of administration coalition presidential candidate Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in the 2016 polls.

Speaking to reporters at a media briefing in Cebu City on Monday, Aquino said that the proposal will bring sorrow to his family.

“Habang tinatanong mo sa akin ‘yan parang nakikita ko na ‘yung mga kapatid ko naiyak na at ‘yung mga pamangkin ko humahagulhol na (While you are asking me that question, I can see my sisters and nephews crying),” Aquino said.

He said that if he is mulling the such proposal, he could have agreed to earlier calls for him to extend his term.

“Kung gagawin na rin naman lahat ‘nung trabaho, siguro dapat sumang-ayon na ako doon sa mungkahing pagtingin ‘nung Konstitutsyon ulit at term extension (If we will do every job, we might as well have agreed to calls to study the Constitution and review term extension),” the President said.

He said that Roxas should be the one to continue the reforms he started.

With the administration waiting for Senator Grace Poe to take the offer of the Liberal Party-led coalition to become Roxas’ running mate, Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga pitched a “Mar-Noy” tandem in 2016.

Barzaga said that a Roxas-Aquino team “would be the dream ticket, a ‘dream team’ for the Filipino people—our bosses.”