NPC may adopt Poe-Chiz in 2016

Most members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) are willing to adopt Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero if they decide to run as independent candidates for president and vice president, the NPC secretary general said Tuesday.

Deputy Speaker and Isabela Representative Giorgidi Aggabao said the party has yet to solidify its stance, but most of its members are for a Poe-Chiz tandem in 2016.

“For now, NPC has not met as a party to formalize its stand. However, many, if not all, members of the party are rooting for a Poe-Chiz tandem,” Aggabao, an NPC stalwart, said.

“If that is any gauge, the party may likely adopt them as candidates and offer to them the infrastructure of the party,” he added.

Aggabao said he found it ludicrous Poe would slide down to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the ruling Liberal Party’s (LP) standard bearers in 2016.

“Grace Poe is on top of the heap. It would be nonsensical for her to slide down. Grace may even run as independent. She does not need the apparatus of a political party because solid political parties like the NPC and others may opt to adopt her,” Aggabao said.

“The sheer beauty of running as independent is: she will not be beholden to any political interests,” he added.

Another NPC member Valenzuela Representative Sherwin Gatchalian said Poe is unlikely to slide down to Roxas.

“I highly doubt that Poe is sliding down to Roxas. She is by far the leader in all surveys. She is an independent who supports majority of PNoy’s programs. But she also demonstrated her independence on certain issues,” said Gatchalian.

Gatchalian is eyed to run as senator in 2016 under the presidential bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay. Poe surpassed Binay as most preferred presidential candidate in the two latest voters preference polls.

Poe met President Aquino for five hours Monday night when she said she understood the predicament of the President in his difficult choice for successor in 2016 to compete the bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Poe said she is willing to work with the administration in whatever capacity to help the country.

“The President and I talked for about five hours. I could sense the very difficult position PNoy is in right now. I understand and sympathize with his predicament and situation. I consider him a true and sincere friend, and he has my utmost respect,” Poe said in a statement.

“He reiterated his desire for all of us to continue working together and that he believes that, like him, we can and will do what is best for our country. In the end, we both agreed to continue, in whatever capacity, striving and working for our countrymen and for the betterment of our children’s future,” she added.

Aquino is said to be meeting with Poe and Escudero as potential running mates of Roxas, who had been faring poorly in voters preference polls. It is believed Aquino wanted Poe, who led the latest presidential survey, to run as Vice President and add sheen to Roxas.

Meanwhile, Poe and Roxas went to South Cotabato on Saturday upon the invitation of the NPC to attend the T’nalak Festival, seen as the initial steps of NPC in wooing the formidable tandem.