Poe remains independent; camp denies meeting with Aquino

Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ARNOLD ALMACEN

The camp of presidential aspirant Grace Poe strongly denied on Tuesday that she had met privately with President Benigno Aquino III supposedly to explore how they could “help each other” in the upcoming elections.

Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, said she continues to run as an independent candidate.

“There is absolutely no truth to the reports that the President and Sen. Poe recently met privately,” Gatchalian said in a text message.

“We must respect the fact that PNoy (Aquino’s nickname) has already made an endorsement these coming elections and though they remain friends, the good Senator is not that candidate,” he said.

Aquino has endorsed the presidential bid of Liberal Party’s standard-bearer, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

While she was appointed by Aquino as chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board in 2010, Poe decided to run against the President’s candidate in the upcoming May presidential race.

“Senator Poe continues to run as an independent candidate. She will continue to forge forward with the message of Gobyernong may Puso. Gobyernong may Puso aims to pull out of poverty the more the 26 million Filipinos living in poverty,” Gatchalian said.

“She firmly believes that once poverty is eradicated the other social ills like drugs and criminality will also be uprooted,” the spokesman added.

Gatchalian issued the statement in response to former Senator Francisco Tatad’s reported claim that Aquino and Poe had met at Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang, the President’s official residence. CDG

READ: Tatad bares Poe-Aquino meeting at Palace