Roxas, Binay say they’re close to picking their running mates

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Who will Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay finally “take to the dance?”

Both said on Tuesday their choice of vice presidential running mate was down to three or four well-known “prospects.”

On the sidelines of the celebration of Teachers Month hosted by the A Teacher party-list in Quezon City, Roxas told reporters: “These names aren’t new to you—[Batangas] Gov. Vilma Santos and [her husband] Sen. Ralph [Recto], Sen. Alan Cayetano, Rep. Leni [Robredo]—we’ve talked to them all.”

“Our talks with possible tandems are continuing,” Roxas added.

Asked about Sen. Grace Poe’s planned announcement of her presidential bid on Wednesday, Roxas said he and President Aquino had asked Poe to remain with their coalition, but ultimately it would be “her choice.”

“Senator Grace’s career started with Team P-Noy of ‘daang matuwid,’ so we invited her to stay on the daang matuwid. [But] it’s her choice what path to take,” he said.

Also in Quezon City, at a media forum, Binay said his list of prospective running mates was down to three and his search committee is expected to make an announcement soon.

“Malapit na malapit na (Soon, very soon),” he told the journalists. He, however, did not give out any names.

“We are done with the search and we are now in the process of selection. We now have three names,” Binay said.

He said some of his prospects were delaying announcing their candidacies for fear of retribution from the administration.

“They are afraid of the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) and the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council). This administration has mastered the art of sowing fear in its rivals,” he said.

While he did not say who his prospective running mates were, Binay repeatedly dropped businessman Manny V. Pangilinan’s name, saying he would need a vice president with good business acumen. Pangilinan, however, months ago shot down a political career for himself.

When asked about Sen. Bongbong Marcos, the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his former nemesis, Binay quipped, “Secret.”