‘Continuity over change,’ Palace says ahead of Poe’s announcement

AHEAD of Senator Grace Poe’s expected announcement of  joining the presidential derby, Malacañang on Wednesday said the administration coalition will run on a “platform of continuity.”

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda emphasized that 2016 will be a referendum of the present administration’s “Daang Matuwid” (straight path) reform.

“We are running on a platform of continuity, she (Poe) ran on a platform… Well, her ads stated ‘bagong umaga,’ (new day) so she’s talking about change. We’re running on a platform of continuity,” Lacierda told reporters.

“For every country, if you look at the Asian countries that have prospered, it’s because the good economic policies have continued. We have done more than promoting good economic policies. We have also increased our poverty alleviation program,” he added.

Noting that the ruling Liberal Party has always been confident of its campaign platform, Lacierda said President Benigno Aquino III’s six years in office will not be enough to sustain all the reforms he implemented.

“We have to institutionalize all the reforms and that’s the reason why all the reforms that are needed should be continued,” Lacierda said.

“This is a very unique situation in our electoral history where every time there is an election everybody talks about change. This is the situation in our electoral history where we’re going to talk about continuity. Ipagpapatuloy ang Daang Matuwid. Marami na po tayong nagawa, marami na pong nagawa si Pangulong Aquino,” he added.

Asked what he would like to call Poe’s chosen path, Lacierda said it would be better to hear the lady senator’s platform of government first.

“It depends on the platform that they are going to espouse. As far as we are concerned, the Daang Matuwid coalition is the administration platform. We are going to push for a platform of good governance, of Daang Matuwid,” he said.

“Again, that’s why we cannot comment on Senator Grace Poe because we still haven’t heard her platform. In fact, that is also the statement of President Aquino two days ago where he said let’s hear what she has to say. But as far as government is concerned, we are going to run on a platform of good governance,” Lacierda added.

Poe, who topped recent preference surveys for both potential presidential and vice presidential candidates in 2016, is expected to announce her presidential bid for next year’s polls this afternoon at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. Yuji Vincent Gonzales

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