Roxas draws cheers from businessmen at presidential forum

Crowd composed of businessmen cheering for Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas at the Harvard-Kellog-Wharton presidential forum at the upscale Manila Polo Club on Wednesday night. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

LIBERAL Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas has again showed that he is the “darling of the business sector” and possibly its top choice for president in the next year’s national elections.

At a presidential forum in the upscale Manila Polo Club in Makati City on Wednesday night, Roxas got loud cheers from a satisfied crowd composed of businessmen after taking questions with ABS-CBN News Channel hosts.

Some of them were even heard chanting “Go Mar!” after the forum dubbed “Meet Your Candidates.”

The event was organized by alumni of prominent American colleges Harvard University, Kellog School of Management and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Roxas is an alumnus of Wharton business school.

Before Roxas, another presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe spoke at the forum.

Seen in the audience was Roxas’ wife and broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas.

The presidential candidates were given time to deliver a brief speech before they were grilled by hosts Tony Velasquez and Karen Davila.

When Roxas’ took the hot seat, he was made to answer questions on tax reform, constitutional change, problems on security, as well as the joining of the Philippines in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

As the forum ended, Roxas engaged the audience by encouraging them to approach him and personally ask him questions, which drew louder applause from the crowd.