NPC divided over Poe-Escudero endorsement

Running mates Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ARNOLD ALMACEN

It seems the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is divided over the party’s support for the tandem of presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe and her running mate Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

South Cotabato Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. said that not all NPC members have been consulted about the party’s support for Poe and Escudero as some of them are committed to support administration presidential bet Mar Roxas and his running mate Leni Robredo.

“I respect the sentiments of some of our fellow NPC congressmen to express their preference for Sen. Grace Poe but for the record, I have not been consulted by the party on any official endorsement on any candidate,” Acharon said in a statement on Monday.

“As far as I am concerned, I have already committed my support to Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo and I will continue to do so in my personal capacity,” he added.

The NPC, the second largest political party in the country, have declared their support for Poe and Escudero for the 2016 national elections as announced by its president Giorgidi Aggabao.

One of the party’s members Camarines Sur Rep. Felix Fuentebella, meanwhile, said he would support Vice President Jejomar Binay for presidency.

It can be recalled that in August last year, Roxas met with NPC members–most of whom were supporters of Poe–at the Liberal Party’s headquarters in Quezon City.

Liberal Party spokesperson Rep. Barry Gutierrez said he had spoken with some NPC members and they told him that they had “absolutely no knowledge” of the endorsement.

“Apparently, there’s some confusion within their ranks. It might be similar to what happened in 2010, when the same group in NPC claimed that they “endorsed” Manny Villar, only for the party to formally endorse Noynoy Aquino shortly after. We will wait for further developments,” he said.

Gutierrez said Acharon, Negros Oriental district Rep. George Arnaiz, and “a significant number of NPC members who have expressed support for Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo have not changed their position.”

“They continue to steadfastly express their support for them. I think it’s only fair to everyone involved that this confusion be resolved before anyone makes a statement that purports to represent the entirety of NPC,” he added. JE