Roxas courts NUP support in dinner meeting Wednesday

Photo by Julliane Love de Jesus/INQUIRER.net

Interior Secretary and Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II asked for the support of the National Unity Party, which is part of the administration coalition, during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday night.

But Roxas barely gave details about the meeting, saying he only discussed the programs of President Aquino and the gains of the administration’s daang matuwid (straight path) that he intends to continue.

Pressed to describe the response of NUP members to his proposal, a smiling Roxas told reporters: “You can ask them. It’s not for me to say. Parang kapag may girlfriend kang nililigawan, siya na ang tanungin mo.”

The NUP, which was formed in 2010 when President Aquino assumed presidency, was formed by former members of Lakas-CMD of which then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was a member.

Joining Roxas in the meeting held at Gloria Maris restaurant in Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City, were Liberal Party stalwarts Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, Transportation Secretary Emilio “Jun” Abaya and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice.

Of the 30 lawmaker members of NUP, 24 attended including four city mayors, six governors, nine party-list representatives and one municipal mayor.

NUP Vice President and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga said they asked Roxas to meet with the party after learning that the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party was courting the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Before NUP, Roxas met with the NPC on Aug. 11 to woo the second-largest political party, which had also initiated a discussion with possible election partners Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

“When we heard about his meeting with the NPC, we asked Cong. Erice when we can meet with Secretary Mar. That’s the result why we are here,” Barzaga told reporters while the meeting was ongoing.

Although he said he was vocal about rooting for Roxas in 2016, he said he “cannot speak for all the members of NUP.”

“But no one from the party has openly said that they are against Secretary Mar so I guess all of them are committed to him because of what they have seen insofar as the present administration is concerned,” he said.

He also noted that Roxas and the President were able to deliver the projects the government promised for their districts.

Two-hour meeting

Among the NUP members present in the meeting were Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Lagdameo, Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles.

After the two-hour dinner meeting, Barzaga said the members had a positive response during the dialogue. But he said that although they were fully aware of Roxas’ good political background, the party members are still sizing up the aspiring president.

“Kapag nililigawan ka, hindi naman sa unang tingin, sasagot ka. I-koconsider mo ang kaniyang background and we know the background of Secretary Mar and the performance of President Aquino at mataas pa ang public approval rating ni President Aquino,” he said.

Attending LP meeting with another political party for the first time, Abaya said he was confident that Roxas would take “a huge chunk (of support)” from the members of parties under the administration coalition should there be a split in the administration coalition.

“I believe a lot of members of the coalition partners continue to believe in the daang matuwid and if they decide to choose their own president, we’re confident we’re going to take a big chunk if that is their decision,” Abaya said.  Julliane Love de Jesus/INQUIRER.net