Sen. Grace Poe on Tuesday said she was surprised that Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero had a lunch meeting with Vice President Jejomar Binay, but added that she found nothing wrong with it.
In an interview at the sidelines of a presidential forum hosted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Poe said it was not unusual for Binay and Escudero to have the same venue for an appointment over the weekend.
Binay and Escudero had lunch together when they were both together in Davao City on Sunday. Both of them denied that they discussed politics in the meeting, with Escudero saying he would never betray Poe by siding with Binay.
“Nagulat din ako eh, nakita ko na lang sa picture. Sa akin naman hindi naman nakakapagtaka na may mga events ka na pupuntahan na nandun din katunggali mo na galing sa ibang partido. Basta ang paggalang sa isa’t isa ay mahalaga,” Poe said.
Poe said she did not harbor ill feelings because the meeting was not hidden from the public.
“Kung mayroon mang masamang balakin, hindi ipapakita sa labas kung saka sakali. Ito naman ay isang bukas na meeting,” Poe said.
BInay and Escudero were once allies until the 2013 elections, when Escudero was dropped as guest candidate of United Nationalist Alliance when he opted to appear in Liberal Party’s coalition sorties.
Escudero supported Binay’s vice presidential bid in 2010, even endorsing the tandem NoyBi which won the top two positions for then Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno Aquino III and Binay. Marc Jayson Cayabyab/RC