Belmonte: Poe will add excitement to presidential race

SPEAKER Feliciano Belmonte Jr., vice chair of  the ruling Liberal Party (LP), seemed to have been charmed by Senator Grace Poe after the latter declared her presidential bid Wednesday night at Bahay ng Alumni at the University of the Philippines.

In a text message, Belmonte said Poe would make the presidential race more exciting.

“Her entry will broaden the choices and make the race more exciting,” Belmonte said.

In her declaration for president, Poe mentioned the “tuwid na daan” slogan of the LP to underscore that no single party can have a “monopoly” in fighting graft and corruption.

Sought for his reaction, Belmonte said he would be glad if Poe would continue President Aquino’s straight path slogan.

He also agreed that not a single party has monopoly over the “tuwid na daan” platform, though he was quick to say it is to the credit of President Aquino, who is LP chairman.

“(Poe) is right and l would be glad if she likewise continues the policies of PNoy… That’s to PNoys credit, (but) no one has a monopoly of it,” Belmonte said.

Poe was the third to formally announce a presidential bid, after Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas of the LP.

Poe is said to be backed by the Nationalist People’s Coalition, which supported her father’s presidential bid in 2004.

Poe and her expected running mate Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero ran under the LP-led administration banner Team PNoy during the 2013 senatorial elections.