The ruling Liberal Party (LP) has formally anointed former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as its standard-bearer during the party’s convention on Wednesday.
At the meeting held at the LP Headquarters in Balay, Quezon City, the party members formalized President Benigno Aquino III’s anointment of Roxas as the LP standard-bearer. None of them objected to Roxas’ nomination.
As for Roxas’ running mate, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo, who has been confirmed as the party’s vice presidential bet, had not yet been nominated.
READ: Drilon: Leni Robredo is LP’s VP | Leni Robredo to spice up vice presidential race — Joey Salceda
Robredo, an LP member, was not present in the gathering.
“Maybe she’s still in the process of discerning,” said LP political affairs adviser and Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice.
But LP vice chair and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Robredo has already consented to the LP’s offer and is only waiting for the approval of her family.
In a separate engagement, however, Robredo said she still needed time to decide if she would accept Roxas’ offer.
READ: Leni Robredo still undecided on VP offer
Power to choose
The LP has also given Roxas the power to pick his preferred running mate and senatorial candidates for the ruling party in the 2016 elections.
READ: LP agrees to let Roxas pick VP, senatorial slate
The LP’s vice presidential candidate and eight of its 12 senatorial bets will be handpicked by Roxas, Erice said after the party’s closed-door meeting on Wednesday morning.
“We authorized Sec. Mar to name the VP and the senatorial candidates. It’s also up to Sec. Mar who will be our coalition partners,” Erice told reporters after the two-hour meeting.
President Aquino, Roxas, LP president and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, and Belmonte presided the meeting of the party’s national directorate and national executive council to decide on the final slate of the party. Julliane Love de Jesus, INQUIRER.net/CDG