Roxas should declare his presidential bid now – Drilon

SENATE President Franklin Drilon wants to hear Interior Secretary Mar Roxas say these words: I will run for president in 2016.

Drilon made the call after some of LP members reportedly expressed openness to support either a Poe-Roxas or a  Poe-Chiz tandem. Poe is Senator Grace Poe while Chiz is Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

BACKSTORY: Administration allies batting for Poe-Roxas or Poe-Escudero

“We have a process in the party but I would take the position that Mar Roxas should now declare his intention if he’s indeed (running for president) and I think he is, to declare now his intention that he would want to present himself as a candidate for president in 2016,” Drilon, vice chairman of the Liberal Party, told reporters.

Asked why Roxas should now make the declaration, the Senate leader said that there’s a need to continue the programs and reforms that the Aquino administration has already started.

“I’d like to think that the President would endorse someone who he would be comfortable will continue with the reforms he has started…,” Drilon said.

“So it’s important to me that the candidate must have the ability to continue these reforms and that’s why, this is my personal view: Secretary Roxas should now declare if he’s going to present himself in 2016,” he said.

Asked if he was making the call so that the party could find another candidate if Roxas would not join the presidential race, Drilon said: “Let me get into that after he makes that decision.” AC