Poe, Escudero visit Roxas bailiwick

ROXAS CITY—Presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe and running mate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday made a brief and low-key visit in this capital city of Capiz, the home province of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

Poe and Escudero, who are running as independents, spoke before about 130 delegates to the sixth Visayas regional conference of the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists at El Circulo Convention Center.

The tandem arrived around 12:20 p.m. from Dumaguete City on a private plane and had a private lunch with friends and supporters. After speaking at the convention, they made a brief stop at a radio station for a live interview before leaving for Manila.

In her speech, Poe said one of their priorities was to improve the country’s healthcare system and infrastructure.

Poe downplayed the perceived dominance of Roxas and LP in Capiz.

“We have many friends here. No part of the country should be marked as a political territory. Helping is for everybody whether you’re a provincemate or not, whether you wear white or red. We are all Filipinos,” Poe told reporters. Nestor P. Burgos Jr./RC