While still hoping for Poe, LP hunts for another VP for Roxas

Who will it be? The Liberal Party said that with Senator Grace Poe declining their offer to be the running mate of Mar Roxas, it is eyeing one of four possible candidates: (clockwise) Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER.NET FILES

The search is on for Interior Secretary Mar Roxas’ running mate despite the President’s statement that the Liberal Party (LP) would not give up on Senator Grace Poe, a ranking party official said Wednesday.

“Nag-uumpisa na kaming maghanap para sa ganoon ay handa na (We’ve started looking for [Roxas’ running mate] so that we’d be prepared),” Senate President Frankin Drilon, vice chair of LP, said in an interview over dzRH.

Drilon was reacting to President Benigno Aquino’s statement that the party would not give up on Poe until the end of the filing of candidacy in October this year.

“Iba pa rin ‘yung united,” Aquino said during the Meet Inquirer forum at the Philippine Daily Inquirer headquarters in Makati City Tuesday.

READ: Aquino: LP not giving up on Poe until filing of candidacy

Drilon said four names were being floated to become Roxas’ running mate. They are Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo, Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, and Senators Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Asked if Robredo was the top choice, the Senate leader said the party had not decided on it.

“Hindi pa naman kami nagbobotohan. May pinag-uusapan. Kasama itong si Congresswoman Robredo. May ilan sa mga kasama namin na siya ang tinutulak, mayroon din kay Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, mayroon ding tumutulak kay Governor Vilma Santos, kay Senator Sonny Trillanes. Pina-guusapan pa,” he said.

(We have not voted on it yet. There were discussions. There are some of our colleagues who are pushing for Congresswoman Robredo, some are for Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, and there are those pushing for Governor Vilma Santos, Senator Sonny Trillanes.)

Cayetano and Trillanes are both members of the Nacionalista Party.